


Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

by Ms_Mushrooms (ShinyRed)



Category: Sofia the First (Cartoon)
Genre: Slow Burn, friends to enemies (?) to friends to lovers, it'll make sense eventually trust me, it's very brief but I aint takin no chances, rating bumped up to T because of suggestive themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:02:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23604235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShinyRed/pseuds/Ms_Mushrooms
Summary: You return to Enchancia for the first time in years, and you're excited to be back. Cedric, one of your closest childhood friends, however, doesn’t share the sentiment, much to your surprise. Sofia is intrigued by this mystery, and vows to do whatever she can to uncover the secrets of what happened between you and Cedric to make him act this way. Especially after she finds out how he really feels about you.
Relationships: Cedric the Sorcerer/Reader
Comments: 35
Kudos: 67





	1. New Beginnings

“Mom, I haven’t even been back for two days, can’t I rest a few days before being thrown into social events?”

“Absolutely not,” your mother tutted, bustling about to assist you in your sewing, handing you pins and thread whenever you needed them. And, of course, giving you an earful about the ball she and your father insisted (forced) you to attend. “Nearly everyone in the kingdom will be there tomorrow. You wanted to catch up with your friends while you were here, didn’t you?”

You sighed. “Yes, but-”

“Then this will be perfect. You’ll get to see most of them in one place, saving you the time and trouble of going door to door to visit them all. Plus, they’ll get to see you at your very best. You're going to look prettier than any princess in this gown.”

You rolled your eyes, fidgeting with one of the sleeves of the dress. “My friends don’t care whether they see me ‘at my very best,’ mom. Most of them have known me since before I went through puberty. So, at my worst.”

Your mom pinched your arm playfully. “Well, puberty beat you with the pretty stick, so excuse me for wanting to show you off a little bit.”

You shyly laugh at the compliment. She was your mother, she was supposed to say those kinds of things. You knew you weren’t the classic kind of beauty everyone adored; your skin had it’s fair share of flaws and marks, your figure was average at best, and you gave up hope on taming your hair long ago. You knew better than to call yourself ugly, nobody was really “ugly” except in personality, but you found it hard to believe anybody would ever look at you the way people looked at princesses or actresses.

Still, you appreciated the sentiment, though you weren’t sure why your mother was so set on sending you to this ball.

“And who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone there. A handsome gentleman, perhaps.”

Ah, there it was. “Mom…”

“Or a lovely lady.”

“Mom-”

“Maybe you’ll meet one of each, have a matching set…”

“Mom,” you said a little louder, “I don’t want to meet anybody, I’m only going to find my friends, that’s it.”

Your mom either didn’t believe you, or she had other plans, judging by the look she gave you. "Honey," your mom said, her voice taking on a softer, caring tone, "are you sure you aren't, I don't know... just a little bit lonely? I haven't heard a word about your romantic life, and I'm concerned that you may not have one. You're old enough now that you should focus on putting yourself out there and meeting someone-"

"I don't want to meet someone," you snapped, feeling immediately guilty. "Sorry, I just... don't feel the need to go out and hunt for a partner. The right one will come at the right time. It'll feel magical and perfect and I'll know it's meant to be as soon it happens."

Figuring it was best, your mother changed the subject. “So, which friends haven’t you seen yet since you've come back?”

You thought for a moment, going over the list in your head. “Let’s see, there’s Selina, Cassandra, Maria… Cedric…” you said the last name under your breath.

Your mother’s face lit up. “Oh! He lives in the palace, surely you’ll see him tonight!”

 _'Maybe,'_ you thought, your heart fluttering nervously at the idea.

-

You never felt like you fit in at these sort of events. Surrounded by people of high class--or dressed high class, at the very least--made you very aware that you were not the high class type.

Before arriving at the castle, you had been satisfied, proud even, of your homemade ball gown. It wasn’t the fanciest or the flashiest, but you thought it looked flattering enough, and there certainly wouldn’t be any risk of encountering someone wearing a duplicate (and, knowing your luck, looking better in it than you did). But not even two minutes after walking amongst the crowd of lavish and expensive gowns, your pride shriveled up into self-consciousness. Suddenly you didn’t want to stand out anymore.

You were also aware that you were one of the very few adults at the ball without an escort. It would have been less awkward had your parents come along, so you would at least have somebody to stick around the entire night, but they had insisted you go alone. You knew they meant well, and they had a point. You were still struggling to be comfortable with adult independence, though you were at an age where going places and doing things alone should be a breeze. That didn’t mean you liked their decision.

Looking around, you were relieved to see that nobody seemed to be looking at you, so that was good. You would much rather blend in with the crowd and have an uneventful night than have any eyes on you.

But, unbeknownst to you, there were eyes on you.

-

“Mr. Cedric!”

Cedric jumped, startled out of his thoughts. He looked around in surprise and saw Sofia giving him a knowing smile. “And what do you want?” he deadpanned.

Sofia continued to smile up at him, either oblivious to Cedric’s irritation or ignoring it. “You’ve been hiding behind this pillar for most of the ball, aren’t you going to ask anybody to dance?”

Cedric’s cheeks flushed pink, his eyes darting away from Sofia’s. “N-no, I don’t think so. I’m not really a dancer.”

“I saw you waltz with Wormwood on his perch several times years ago-”

“First of all, never speak of that,” Cedric snapped, “and second, why don’t you find someone to dance with and mind your own business.” Cedric shooed her away with a wave of his hands.

Sofia stayed put, giving Cedric a grin that almost seemed smug, if Sofia were capable of smugness. “I was just going to suggest asking the lady you’ve been staring at for the past ten minutes.”

Cedric froze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“She’s very beautiful.”

“I know she is,” Cedric snapped, before immediately realizing his mistake. The pink on his cheeks deepened. “I-I mean, I, uh-”

Sofia took Cedric’s arm and dragged him out from behind the pillar towards the crowd. “Just go talk to her, silly!”

Cedric gulped. “Must I?”

“I’ll leave you alone if you do.”

Without another word, Cedric turned and made his way through the crowd. He kept his eyes locked onto the back of your head as he weaved between the guests, getting closer and closer, his throat getting drier the closer he got to you. Just as he was about to call out your name, he saw Baileywick swoop in to talk to you. Cedric could hear you greet Baileywick warmly, giggling at something that Baileywick said.

With a defeated sigh, Cedric turned around and headed back to where Sofia was watching him, her anticipation quickly replaced by surprise. “Congratulations, Princess,” Cedric scoffed, “you get to bug me for the rest of the evening.”

-

“What a wonderful surprise to see you back,” Baileywick said with a smile, “it’s certainly been quite a while, hasn’t it.”

“Eight years,” you remarked, hardly believing it yourself. “You haven’t changed a bit.” That was a lie, Baileywick’s hair had much more gray than you remembered. But he didn’t need to know that.

Baileywick grinned, primping his graying hair proudly. “Why, thank you. You certainly have changed, I must say. Last time I saw you, you were fresh into adulthood, with wild dreams and even wilder hair.”

You smiled, embarrassed, absentmindedly touching the tight bun your mother had yanked your hair into. “Yes, well, I bought a brush, found a support group, and the rest is history.”

Baileywick laughed. “Are you going to be staying in Enchancia for very long?”

“I hope to, why?”

“How would you like a job here at the palace? We’ve just had several job openings amongst the palace staff, you could practically take your pick. You might do well as a maid, or an attendant to one of the princesses.”

You lit up. You needed a job, and had been searching in vain for a job that the idea of didn’t make you want to claw at your skin, and here Baileywick was handing you an offer on a silver platter. “I’d love to, thank you!”

“Excellent,” Baileywick smiled, pulling out a small handheld planner from his coat pocket and writing something down, “come back tomorrow and we can talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your mom said lesbian/bisexual/polyamorous rights wooo!
> 
> I'm going to try updating once a week, possibly more often depending on how my work schedule goes. But, I can't promise that that'll definitely happen. I'll try my best though.


	2. After All This Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Settling into your routine working at the castle, you meet Sofia and Amber. The encounter is... interesting. You and Cedric finally run into one another, but he behaves strangely, leaving you hurt and confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters posted in one week? Finnigan's fungus!
> 
> (Don't get used to this)

The next few days were a whirlwind of paperwork and interviews, and before you knew it you were busy scrubbing at the marble floor in one of the many spacious palace hallways. You had expected the job to be boring, but you often found yourself humming happily to yourself when you were alone, the monotonous cleaning easy enough to be enjoyable. Sometimes you’d catch interesting tidbits of conversations when you were cleaning right outside the bedrooms of the royal family, or if some of the castle staff were gossiping in the halls when they thought the coast was clear, providing you with some juicy entertainment. All in all, it wasn’t a bad job.

Sometimes you wondered if you would ever encounter Cedric.

The fact that you hadn’t so much as seen him had you worried. He was still the royal sorcerer of Enchancia, right? You hadn’t heard otherwise. What if something happened to him...

You dismissed the thought, going back to scrubbing a particularly difficult spot of mud.

-

Sofia hummed happily as she walked through the halls heading towards Amber’s room, when she spotted someone familiar. Crouched on the floor, scrubbing furiously at the tile, was the lady she saw Mr. Cedric staring at the night of the ball. She hadn’t seen your face, but she could tell it was you by your hair; it was the same color and was even pulled up into a bun, albeit a much messier bun.

You sensed someone nearby, and you turned to see someone standing a ways down the hall. You smiled politely and returned to your cleaning, not sure if you were allowed to address the royal family. They weren’t strict about those things, but you still weren’t sure. Plus, what would you say to a princess?

Movement in the corner of your eye caught your attention, and you turned to see the princess approaching you. Your stomach did a nervous flip, you had never spoken to royalty before.

Sofia waved as she ran up to you, nearly tripping over her dress in her excitement. She gave you a cheerful “Hi!”

Taken aback by her energetic greeting, you returned the greeting with a small wave, standing up and turning to face the princess, seeing as it was the polite thing to do.

Sofia couldn’t help but study your face, and how unique and lovely it was. No wonder Mr. Cedric was staring at you. “I’m Sofia,” she said with a curtsey and a bright smile.

“Ah,” you said, returning the curtsey, “Enchancia’s newest princess. It’s lovely to finally meet you, Princess Sofia.”

“I saw you at the ball," she said, her voice almost too cheerful, "you were the one in the blue dress.”

You were taken aback for the second time. This girl not only saw you amongst the large crowd of people (many others wearing blue dresses as well), but remembered what you looked like almost a week later? You weren’t sure whether to be flattered or creeped out. “Oh, um…”

“I saw you talking to our steward,” Sofia said, sensing your unease. It wasn’t a lie, technically. She had seen you speaking with Baileywick, but she was more concerned with the way you had captured Cedric’s attention. “Do you know him?”

“I do, actually,” you smiled, feeling a little more comfortable with Sofia’s friendliness, “I’ve known Baileywick since I was a kid.”

Sofia perked up upon hearing this. “You have? Does that mean you came here to the castle?”

“Actually, I-”

“Sofia,” a voice you had grown to recognize as Amber’s came from down the hall, “what’s keeping you? I thought we were- Oh,” Amber stopped when she saw you. “Am I interrupting? My apologies.”

“No, not at all,” you said, waving your hands in front of you, “we were just chatting, that’s all.”

Sofia moved to stand beside her sister. “Amber, this is the lady from the ball.”

“...I don’t follow,” Amber said, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

“You know," Sofia hinted, "the one that-”

“Oh!” Amber gasped suddenly, turning to you. “I remember, you were wearing that gorgeous dusty blue gown with the tulle skirt and off the shoulder sleeves!”

“...Sure.”

Amber squealed. “I just have to know where you got that dress, I’ve never seen one like it.”

You could feel your face getting warm from embarrassment, and you shifted your weight uncomfortably. “I’m afraid I made it myself, I-”

“Oh my,” Amber gasped, “you made it yourself? You have to make one for me too. Please,” she added after a beat.

You thought it over for a moment. Making a dress for a princess wasn’t something you ever thought you would be asked to do, and the task seemed daunting. Just one mistake would be humiliating. But Amber seemed so excited, and you figured that turning her down would be worse than messing up a dress. “I guess I could…”

Clasping her hands in delight, Amber squealed again. “Oh, thank you! I need something new to wear to Sofia’s eighteenth birthday celebration. It is going to be a momentous occasion, after all.”

“But that’s not for another two years, Amber,” Sofia said.

Amber waved a dismissive hand, “As Enchancia’s future queen I must always be prepared. This way, please,” she said, motioning for you and Sofia to follow her.

You blinked. “Wait, now?”

Amber turned back to you. “What, are you busy with something else?”

You gestured vaguely to the bucket full of soapy water and the brush sitting on the floor next to it.

“Oh. Well, nevermind that, you have permission from two of the princesses to leave that for later.” Amber took you by the hand and pulled you down the hall, you assumed towards her room, with Sofia following close behind, smiling at her sister’s antics.

-

Cedric wandered the halls of the castle after a surprisingly uneventful day. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been able to kick back and take a walk like this. Lately, his mind had been preoccupied with recent events; seeing you at the ball, memories of the past resurfacing and haunting him, curiosities about what you were doing back and whether he would get to see you again. He had pushed those aside temporarily and enjoyed the time he had to himself. It wasn’t often that he got to do almost nothing all day.

Cedric almost turned a corner when he heard a very familiar voice echoing through the hallway, and he groaned internally. Maybe if he turned around now he could avoid Amber and whatever ridiculous request she was bound to ask of him.

Before he could turn back, however, the voice got closer, until it practically bumped into him.

“Sorry,” Amber said as she stepped back in surprise, “I didn’t hear you coming.”

“I wish I could say the same,” Cedric muttered. “Always a delight to see you, Princess Amber.” Cedric noticed there were others standing behind her, and his eyes swept up to greet them, but the sight that met him made his blood run cold.

-

You couldn’t help but smile as the princesses led you through the castle, Amber chatting enthusiastically about the various gowns in her possession. You were beginning to feel excited to be working on a dress for her (and Sofia, who had politely asked for one as well, though something in her tone seemed suspicious). You didn’t often get the chance to have “girl time” to gush and gossip, and though these girls were a bit younger than you, you could tell they were going to be entertaining company.

You came to a grinding halt when you were suddenly met with a familiar face. “Cedric…” you said, almost at a whisper.

You watched as he greeted Amber, the blood rushing past your eardrums was blocking you from hearing what he was saying but you could tell it was something sarcastic. Your heart skipped several beats when his eyes finally met yours. You knew you were bound to run into him eventually, given that he lived in the castle, but that didn’t mean you were ready to. You doubt you would have ever been ready.

Sofia grinned when she heard you say Cedric's name. “So, you two have met before?”

You opened your mouth to speak, but were stopped by Cedric speaking first.

“No, Sofia, I don’t believe we’ve met.”

Wait. What?

Confused, you furrowed your brow, giving Cedric a questioning look. Was he joking? He had to be joking. You decided to go along with it, not knowing what else to do. “I know his name because his reputation precedes him. But, I could have sworn that we’ve met before.” You caught the light blush that dusted Cedric’s cheeks. He didn’t say anything, still keeping up the charade of treating you like a stranger.

Mistaking Cedric’s blush for flirting, Sofia beamed, seeing an opportunity. “You must have seen each other at the ball,” she said, giving Cedric a sneaky wink.

As much as you wanted to say “No, that isn’t it,” and watch Cedric squirm some more, you stayed quiet, putting the ball in Cedric’s court.

“Perhaps,” Cedric said with a shrug, “though there were so many people there, who knows if we ran into each other at all that night.”

“I would remember you if we met,” you said, your intent clear to Cedric but completely lost on Sofia, who was delighted by what she interpreted as flirty banter, “and I hope that you would do the same.”

Cedric’s eyes avoided yours, and he tucked his wand into his sleeve. “Yes, well, I’m a very busy sorcerer and I have a lot to do today, so I’ll be going now.” Adjusting his collar, Cedric gave you and Sofia a curt goodbye before leaving.

Once Cedric had turned the corner, Sofia leaned in to whisper in your ear. “I saw Mr. Cedric looking at you at the ball,” she giggled. “I suggested he try and talk to you, but he didn’t get the chance.”

Did Cedric pretend not to know you the night of the ball, too? Why hadn’t he told Sofia that you were an old friend? You decided not to dwell on it for now, determined not to ruin the happy mood you had just been in. “Come on, let’s get you girls measured for those dresses.”

-

Slamming the door to his workshop, Cedric leaned against it, slowly sinking down until he was sitting on the cold stone floor. He replayed the encounter in his head again, recalling every detail: the way your smile had vanished when you saw him, the look on your face as you lied about knowing him. That had hurt, more than he’d willingly admit.

True, he had lied first, but you could have easily set the record straight. Clearly you didn’t care enough to.

Cedric stood and walked over to his desk. He placed his hand on the top drawer handle, holding it there for a moment in hesitation. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the drawer open. He nudged away some discarded bottle labels and old jar lids to find what he had long ago hidden underneath. His heart skipped when his fingers brushed against the object he was searching for: a necklace he had tucked away long ago, hoping to forget it and it’s previous owner. He pulled it out, unlocking memories as soon as his eyes fell upon it.

With a sad sigh, Cedric dropped the necklace back into the drawer and closed it gently. He wasn’t ready to face those memories again.


	3. Familiar Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somebody very familiar to you comes to visit, but do they remember you? Sofia gets closer to solving the puzzle of your past.

Sofia had been waiting, nose pressed against the glass of the window, for nearly half an hour when the carriage finally pulled up. With an excited giggle, she ran down to the castle’s front doors and rushed outside. “Calista!” she called out with a wave, quickly but carefully trotting down the stairs while trying not to trip on her skirt.

Calista waved back, struggling to drag her bags out of the carriage. She had begun to take after her mother, losing the ability to grasp the concept of “packing light.”

“Wonderful to see you again, Sofia,” Cordelia said as she waved her wand to coax her luggage out of the carriage. She brushed a lock of long, brown hair away from her face. “Where is my dear brother? He did know we were arriving today, didn’t he?”

“He’s probably busy, I know he wouldn’t miss this unless it was very important,” Sofia lied. There was a chance Cedric was indeed busy, but she had a feeling he was just distracted. The sorcerer had been acting strange for weeks.

Cordelia seemed satisfied with that answer. “The work of a royal sorcerer is never done, I suppose.”

Hefting a large red suitcase, Calista kicked the door to the carriage closed with her foot behind her and bounded up to Sofia excitedly. “It’s been ages since we’ve seen each other!”

Sofia agreed, pulling Calista into a tight hug. “Come on, I’ll show you both to your rooms.”

-

Over the next few weeks, you distracted yourself from your interaction with Cedric by making friends with some of the other palace staff. You discovered you very much enjoyed the company of the cooks in the kitchen, who were the friendliest of the workers. They often teased you, but it was in good nature, always joking about how young you were and nicknaming you “Miss Lady” after struggling to remember your name. You enjoyed the banter, thrilled to finally have coworkers you could actually socialize with and not feel like the interactions were forced or overly polite. It made your job at the castle a little less boring.

Still, Cedric never left the back of your mind.

You pushed any and all thoughts of the sorcerer from your mind as you wiped away the dusty film from the window. However, the distant echo of voices and footsteps approaching caught your attention, and you turned toward the source of the sound to see Sofia, with two others trailing behind her. You tensed when you recognized one of them. You briefly considered hiding in the folds of the curtain, but you knew it was too late for that. Besides, you had seen how dusty those curtains were. You decided to make yourself look busy, turning away and hoping they didn’t notice you.

You flinched when Sofia called out to greet you. Damn it.

Putting on a smile, you turned to greet Sofia. “Good afternoon, Princess.”

Sofia smiled and gestured behind her, “Mr. Cedric’s sister and niece are staying here for the next two weeks.”

 _‘Of course they are…’_ you thought bitterly. Because things just weren’t complicated enough. You looked over to Cordelia, who seemed to be studying you. Relief washed over you when you realized she didn’t recognize you. If she had, she definitely would have said something.

The young girl, who you guessed must be Cedric’s niece, smiled up at you excitedly. “My sorceress’ ball is next week!”

The girl’s happiness was infectious, and you couldn’t help but smile back. “Oh wow, how exciting,” you said, “how does it feel to be ten already?”

“I feel old.”

“Join the club, sister,” you laughed. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Calista.”

You held out your hand and gave Calista a firm handshake. “I hope your sorceress’ ball is tons of fun, Calista.”

The awestruck grin Calista gave you nearly made your heart melt.

“Well, I still need to show them to their rooms so they can unpack,” Sofia chimed in, “so we’ll see you around.”

Calista waved to you as she followed after Sofia. “It was nice meeting you!”

You waved back, your smile faltering when your eyes met Cordelia’s, which were still locked onto you in an intensely curious gaze. You sighed. Sooner or later, she was going to remember you.

-

“Here we are!” Sofia announced happily, “We put you two in rooms that are beside each other this time.”

Pleased by this, Cordelia smiled, and with a wave of her wand sent Calista’s bags floating to their places in one room, her own bags floating to the other. “Sofia,” Cordelia inquired, “you wouldn’t happen to know the name of that woman we were just introduced to, do you?”

Sofia nodded.

Cordelia’s eyes widened when Sofia told her your name. “You don’t say,” she smirked, her hand coming up to scratch at her chin in intrigue.

Looking over to Calista, Sofia saw a puzzled look on the young sorceress’ face. Sofia’s eyes darted between Cordelia and Calista, who both had very different reactions upon hearing your name. Clearly they knew you, but only by name.

“I’ll leave you two girls to have fun,” Cordelia ushered the girls into Calista’s room, her lips still raised in a smug smirk, “I’m going to go find Cedric. We have _so much_ catching up to do.”

Once Cordelia had shut the door behind her, Sofia turned to Calista, her brows furrowed in confusion. “Do you two know her?”

Calista shook her head. “I’ve only heard Mummy mention that name a couple of times. Uncle Cedric doesn’t like to talk about her.”

Sofia tried to wrap her mind around this new information. She sat down on the edge of Calista’s bed as she thought. “So, Mr. Cedric does know her?”

“I guess so,” Calista shrugged, sitting beside Sofia. “He doesn’t like her very much.”

Sofia looked to Calista in surprise. “Not from what I’ve seen.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Sofia said, crossing her legs to get comfortable as she prepared to tell Calista the story, “it all started a few weeks ago, at the ball…”

-

You were just about to finally finish washing the last window (how in the world did so many smudges get here? It was as if someone pressed their whole face to the glass…) when a voice behind you startled you.

“My, you’ve certainly grown up.”

Your stomach dropped when you turned and saw Cordelia standing behind you.

Cordelia smiled, but it wasn’t genuine. “At least, I sure hope you’ve grown up since I saw you last.”

Unbeknownst to the both of you, Calista and Sofia were crouched around the corner, listening in to the conversation. Sofia had been filling Calista in on everything she knew about you when they heard Cordelia’s voice and decided to eavesdrop in hopes of learning more. Sofia snuck a peek at the two of you, careful to stay as hidden as possible.

“It’s been a number of years, hasn’t it?” Cordelia mused, hands on her hips in a cocky demeanor. The smile on her face hinted that there was more meaning behind her words, though Sofia couldn’t understand what she was implying. “What brings you back here to Enchancia?”

 _‘Back,’_ Sofia thought, _‘so she used to live here.’_

“Oh, you know,” you said with an awkward shrug, “...stuff.”

Cordelia cocked her head. “Stuff?”

You nodded.

Clearly not satisfied with your answer, Cordelia raised an eyebrow, prompting you to elaborate.

You sighed. “I missed it here. I had my adventure and checked off most of my bucket list, and figured it was time to come home.”

“Uh huh,” Cordelia hummed.

You couldn’t read Cordelia’s expression to save your life. You expected her to be angry, after everything that happened. But she didn’t look angry. Suspicious, yes, but not angry.

“And is that all you’re here for?” Cordelia said, giving you a lighthearted but challenging stare.

You took a deep breath, which came out louder than you intended. “Yes.”

You didn’t miss the irritated quirk of Cordelia’s brow.

“Your hair looks lovely,” you said, hoping to ease some of the tension. You didn’t want to fight with Cordelia, and you couldn’t tell if that was the direction this conversation was heading.

It seemed to do the trick, and Cordelia gave a pleased smile as she absentmindedly ran her hand through her hair. “Oh, thank you! I finally got it fixed years ago once Cedric and I found out what caused the blunder. Cedric turned it back to its normal, beautiful state.”

“He did?”

Cordelia nodded. “Yes, and all has been forgiven since then.”

You were stunned. The entire time you had known Cedric and Cordelia, the two had fought, the root of their arguments stemming from The Incident. It was strange hearing Cordelia saying something positive about her brother. A lot really had changed since you were gone.

-

Sofia and Calista quietly snuck back to Calista’s room, shutting the door as quietly as possible. They wanted to try and listen to Cordelia’s talk with Cedric, but knew it would be much more risky. They didn’t want to get caught, that would only ruin their chances of finding out more.

Settling back onto Calista’s bed, Sofia looked sincerely into Calista’s eyes. “Tell me everything you know about her.”

Calista concentrated. “I’ve only heard her name a handful of times. Usually Mummy would bring her up when she and Uncle Cedric were fighting, but I never paid attention to what she was saying. One time I asked about her, but Mummy told me it was a long story.” Calista paused. “That’s all I know about her.”

Sofia bit her lip in thought. That didn’t answer many of her questions… She supposed she was going to have to go straight to the source if she was going to uncover this mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That bit about you and the kitchen staff? I miss the kitchen staff at the restaurant I used to work at and based that whole bit on my irl interactions with them. One of them calls me "Miss Lady" and they always poke fun at me but it's all in good fun and damn it I miss that a lot. Quarantine sucks, man.


	4. It's All Coming Back To Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia does some detective work, asking you and Cedric about each other. She has better luck with one than the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may... or may not... start updating twice a week...
> 
> I've had a lot more inspiration to write this fic than I expected to and I've managed to crank out chapters pretty quickly, and it's painful having so many tabs open with completed chapters but waiting so long to post them. So imma post them. If I hit a roadblock or something happens and I have to slow updates again I apologize.

Using all of her stealth skills, Sofia waited until she knew Cordelia had left Cedric’s workshop. Calista asked to go with her, but Sofia told her it would probably be best for her to do this alone.

Gathering her courage, Sofia reached the door to Cedric’s workshop. She hoped he was in a good mood today, especially after his talk with Cordelia. Then again, if he was in a good mood, it likely wasn’t going to last with the questions Sofia planned to ask him. She felt guilty for prying into others’ private business like this, but she told herself that her mission was for the good of others, not just her being too nosey.

...But maybe she was also a little nosey. She suspected that maybe spending so much time with Amber had had an affect on her.

Before Sofia could knock, she saw the door was cracked open. Peeking in, she saw Cedric through the reflection in the window. He had his head propped in his hand while in the other he held something, studying it intently. Sofia slowly pushed the door open to get a better look and saw that Cedric was holding a necklace. It was silver, with a dainty pendant decorated with small diamonds and a pearl at the end. It didn’t look like any necklace she had seen in the castle before.

A sudden creaking from the door made both Cedric and Sofia jump. Cedric quickly hid the necklace inside his fist and turned towards the sound, surprised to see Sofia.

Shrinking in embarrassment at being caught, Sofia tried to hide behind the door, but knew Cedric had already seen her. “I’m sorry,” she said sheepishly, “I didn’t mean to spy. I just didn’t want to disturb you.”

To Sofia’s surprise, Cedric smiled warmly. “It’s all right. Come in.” He let the necklace dangle from his gloved hand again, returning his other hand to its position propping up his chin.

Whatever Cordelia and Cedric had talked about put the sorcerer in an odd mood, Sofia thought curiously. He wasn’t usually this distracted. She watched Cedric as his stare was fixated on the necklace, his eyes clouded with thought. “That’s a beautiful necklace, Mr. Cedric.”

“Indeed,” Cedric replied half-heartedly, still studying the glittering jewels.

Sofia cleared her throat. “Would you mind me asking where you got it?”

Cedric frowned, side-eyeing Sofia. “If you’re going to accuse me of thieving jewelry from the castle again…”

“Not at all,” Sofia reassured him, “and besides, I was the one who defended you during all that, remember?”

Cedric sighed, “You did, didn’t you…” He trailed off, going back to gazing longingly at the necklace, seemingly lost in thought once again.

Not wanting to pry, but concerned for her friend, Sofia decided to press on. “So, where did you get the necklace?”

Cedric was quiet for a moment, making Sofia wonder if he even heard her. Then he spoke, “I’ve had this for years. It belonged to someone I… was very close to, but not anymore.”

“I think I know exactly who it belonged to.”

Looking into Sofia’s eyes, Cedric could tell who the princess was referring to. “Yes,” he sighed, “it was hers.”

Sofia suspected as much. “So, you two were once close?”

“We were best friends, when we were young.” Cedric smiled as he reminisced, “We met when we were children, and we instantly became friends. I had never encountered anyone who was as kind and spirited as she was. She was one of very few people who stuck by my side after the incident with my sister, and we remained close friends for years, until…”

Sofia stared at Cedric in wonder, captivated by this raw emotional side of the sorcerer that Sofia rarely got to see. “What happened?”

Cedric gazed over to the window wistfully. He seemed to be thinking over his words carefully. “It’s a very long story,” he said at last, “all that matters is we had a falling out, a big one.”

“You weren’t friends after that, were you?”

Cedric shook his head sadly. “Then she left. I didn’t hear a word from her, I had no idea she was even planning to return here.”

All Sofia could say was a soft “Wow” of surprise. She studied the way Cedric’s eyes seemed to reflect his grief. She had never seen such a sorrowful expression on Cedric’s face before. “But why did you pretend you didn’t know her? Weren’t you happy to see her again?”

Cedric looked down at his lap, embarrassed. “I just thought it would be best. Besides, I assumed she had forgotten about me. Or wanted to forget, at least.”

Sofia’s heart broke for the sorcerer. “That’s not true at all, how could you think such a thing?”

Cedric didn’t answer.

Sofia took this as a hint that he wasn’t up to talking anymore about the topic. Still, she persisted. “You are happy to see her again, aren’t you?”

Cedric huffed. “I shouldn’t be.”

Looking at Cedric’s eyes told Sofia everything she needed to know about Cedric’s true feelings. She could tell he was pining over his lost friend, even after all these years. “You’re in love with her,” she said quietly. It was more of an observation than a question, but Sofia still waited patiently for Cedric’s response.

Cedric gazed ahead pensively. Closing his eyes, he let out a deep sigh before turning to Sofia to give her his answer.

-

For the rest of the evening and throughout the night, Sofia couldn’t stop thinking about everything Cedric had told her. It made her heart hurt for the sorcerer. She couldn’t imagine how it must have felt for either of you, losing someone who was once such a close friend. She laid in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking over everything carefully.

Something didn’t add up. Sofia thought back to the night of the ball, how Cedric had spent most of that night watching you from afar. Had you even noticed Cedric? Surely you had at least seen him, even in the crowded hall. Were you choosing to shut him out? Cedric may have had his own reasons for pretending not to know you, but why had you reciprocated? And what could have caused the fight that ended your friendship all those years ago?

Sofia knew she needed to hear your side of the story before coming to any conclusions.

-

You woke up with a start, your body jolting as the last traces of your dream vanished. Your eyes swept the room as you came down from your panic. It was much smaller than the bedrooms of the royal family, but that was to be expected, and you preferred the cozy quarters anyway. For a maid’s room, it was spacious enough. It was even decorated rather nicely. Sunlight peeked through the gaps in the window curtain, and the sound of birds singing their morning song put a smile on your face.

A knock on your door made you jump, and you heard Baileywick’s muffled voice through the door asking for you. This early in the morning? You knew the royal family were all early risers, but they usually didn’t need assistance at this hour. You grabbed your robe and wrapped it around you as you shuffled over to the door, not bothering to try and fix what you were certain was a mess of bed-head before opening the door.

Baileywick’s eyes widened when he saw your hair, but he quickly regained his composure. He cleared his throat. “Princess Sofia requests your presence in her room. It’s about the gown you made her.”

Your blood turned to ice as every possible thing that could have gone wrong flashed before your mind. You left a pin in it and it pricked her. You used a fabric she was allergic to. You wrote down the measurements wrong and she’s taking it as an insult about her body and her teenage insecurities are going haywire.

Baileywick saw your terrified expression and gave you a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, everything is just fine. She just needs a small adjustment. No rush, just head on up whenever you’re ready.” His eyes darted to your hair as he said this, his mouth twitching into an amused smirk.

You glared at him before closing the door with a sarcastic “thanks.”

-

Sewing kit in hand, you knocked on Sofia’s door. You smiled politely when she answered, wearing the dress you had made her. You were glad she talked you out of making the dress purple, she really did look good in so many other colors. “So,” you said as she ushered you inside, “Baileywick tells me the dress doesn’t fit. What seems to be the problem?”

Sofia walked over to a small platform in front of her mirror and stepped up onto it. “I’m not sure, it just feels… off.”

You hummed. “Okay then, I guess I could… check over the measurements.” You grabbed your measuring tape and began to measure Sofia’s body.

After a minute of silence, Sofia spoke. “So, do you like working here?”

It was an easy enough question, you supposed. Even if you hated this job, you could put on a happy face and gush about how much you loved it. Thankfully, you didn’t have to lie. You genuinely enjoyed working here, Cedric situation aside. “It’s been wonderful. I’ve met so many new people, and everyone is so nice here.”

Sofia was glad to hear it. “Before you were living here, did you live with your family? Do you have a partner?”

Laughing, you shook your head. “No partner, and I lived with my parents.” You scratched your head as you finished your measurements, matching them to the same numbers you had written down weeks earlier. “I can’t seem to find any problems with the fit, Princess Sofia,” you said, shaking your head, “would you mind telling me what exactly isn’t fitting?”

“So,” Sofia said, pretending not to hear your question, “what do you think of Mr. Cedric?”

You fought the urge to laugh. You hoped Sofia didn’t think she was being sneaky, because if she did, her stealth skills needed a lot of work. “The royal sorcerer?” you said, remembering to pretend you barely knew him.

Sofia nodded, her expression eager and hopeful.

You could tell how much Sofia wanted her matchmaking to work, and you couldn’t bring yourself to shut her down. As much as you knew it would be easy to just say you couldn’t stand him and leave it at that, you knew it would crush her. You wouldn’t lie to her, though. Just… leave out some things. A lot of things. “He’s interesting.”

Sofia giggled. “I’ll say.”

You remembered what Sofia had whispered to you after your encounter with him. “You told me he was watching me at the ball?”

“He couldn’t stop staring at you all night,” Sofia gushed. “I know I probably shouldn’t say anything, but I can’t help it. I can tell he likes you. The two of you would be great together, I think.”

Your eyes looked away awkwardly. _‘Oh, if only you knew…’_

Sofia continued, “Have you talked to him much since you’ve been here?”

You shook your head.

“He can be a bit shy. I’m sure he’ll get the courage to talk to you eventually.”

You hummed thoughtfully. You had your doubts.

“...So, what was Cedric like when he was young?”

You chuckled. “Not much has changed, he was always a pretty distant person. He used to-” you stopped, realizing you had fallen right into Sofia’s trap. With a defeated sigh, you looked up to see Sofia giving you a knowing look, the smallest of proud smiles on her face, like she hadn’t actually expected her plan to work. Lucky for her, you happened to be the world’s biggest idiot. “How much do you know?”

“More than I should, less than you’d think.” Sofia’s smile faded as she became serious. “What happened between you two?”

Being forced to confront the past and the memories of you and Cedric stung more than you’d care to admit. You wanted to snap, to tell Sofia that this was none of her business, but you couldn’t. You could tell she was just trying to help. “A lot, as I’m sure you’ve heard already.”

“I trust Mr. Cedric, but I don’t think he told me everything.”

So, Sofia had talked to Cedric about this. This piqued your interest. You wondered what Cedric told her, or didn’t tell her. “To make a very long story short, we were close growing up, but it didn’t last. We grew apart. We wanted different things, and in the end, we had to go our own ways.”

“That sounds awful, I’m so sorry that happened.” Sofia’s face brightened as she continued, “But now you two are here, you can reconnect and go back to being close, like you used to be!”

“It really isn’t that easy-”

“I’m sure if you two just talked about everything as adults you could understand each other,” Sofia said, clearly trying her best to do whatever she could to help, “and this whole mess can be put behind you. If you knew what Cedric told me-”

“I’m sorry Sofia, but I really don’t feel like discussing this anymore.” You hadn’t meant for it to come out so snappy, but you couldn’t help it. You hadn’t let yourself process everything that happened between you and Cedric for years, and doing it all at once wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.

Crestfallen, Sofia looked down in shame. “Of course. I’m sorry.”

Now you felt bad. “Hey, don’t be,” you smiled reassuringly, “I know you’re only trying to help. Things between Cedric and I can never go back to the way they were before, as sad as I am to say it, but I appreciate your effort.”

“That’s not true,” Sofia said, looking to you with hopeful eyes, “if you really love each other-”

Shock took over your features. “You’re assuming a lot, Sofia.”

“-then it’s not too late to fix everything, you can start over!”

You started packing your sewing kit, hastily stuffing your measuring tape into the basket. “There’s nothing we can do, Sofia. Sometimes you have to accept that you made a mistake and move on with your life, no matter how much it hurts.”

Sofia said nothing, watching as you gathered your things and left. Though you tried to hide it, she caught a glimpse of a tear trailing down your cheek as you closed the door.


	5. All I Do Is Dream Of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roland reveals some interesting information about you and Cedric to Sofia. You have an emotional crisis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***NOTICE***
> 
> Rating has been bumped up to T because of one scene that has explicit implications. It's nothing graphic, but it's probably too much for a G rating.
> 
> The good news is that with this new rating, I now have more freedom to include more mature themes. There won't be anything too explicit lol but I won't be as careful about keeping things squeaky clean. Which is much more my speed. I'm not ashamed.

Sofia pushed her broccoli around her plate, too preoccupied by her thoughts to concern herself with dinner. Her talk with you had been a bust. She hadn’t meant to make you so upset, and now she regretted getting so involved. Now she was stuck with the problem of trying to fix what she had damaged with her meddling.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel that mending the relationship between you and Cedric needed a little push if it was going to make any progress.

Sofia lit up when she realized that if you and Cedric were childhood friends, there was a chance that her father knew you as well.

“Hey Dad,” Sofia asked, “you wouldn’t happen to know the new maid, would you?”

Roland stroked his chin as he thought. “Now that you mention it, she does seem familiar, but I can’t quite place it.”

“Apparently she and Cedric used to be good friends when they were children.”

Realization seemed to strike Roland, and he snapped his fingers. “Of course! I thought I recognized her, but I wasn’t sure,” he remarked. “If I recall, I saw her around the castle a lot growing up.”

“Were the two of you friends as well?” Amber asked, showing surprising interest in her father’s story.

Roland shook his head. “Not after the incident. She was a loyal friend and defended Cedric fiercely, even when everyone else was convinced Cedric was to blame for what happened.”

_’Maybe you should have followed her example,’_ Sofia thought.

Roland continued, “She didn’t take too kindly to me after that. Things got a bit better as we got older, however. We still had frequent run-ins with each other whenever she would come to visit Cedric, which seemed like almost every day.”

“Sounds like she and Cedric saw each other a lot,” Amber smirked, amused.

“All the time.” Roland chuckled, “They thought they were being sneaky by meeting up in the gardens late at night after curfew, but several people in the castle knew, however no one said anything. 

“Aw,” Amber cooed, her expression soft, “she and Cedric must have been really good friends.”

“Yes, they were quite adorable. Nobody was surprised a bit when they eventually became a couple.”

Sofia nearly dropped her fork.

Amber looked scandalized, but an intrigued smile formed on her face. “You mean Cedric has an ex-girlfriend that’s now working in the castle?”

“Let’s start with the fact that Cedric even had a girlfriend to begin with,” James snickered.

Roland chuckled, “Yes, they had a romantic relationship for about a year, I believe. But they were already practically dating long before that, they were such close friends.”

Now, even Miranda was curious. “But if they were so close, what made them split up?” she asked, genuine concern written in her features.

Roland had to think for a moment. “I’m not sure, actually. I wasn’t close with Cedric at the time, so he didn’t exactly tell me everything that happened. All I know is that out of the blue I stopped seeing her at the castle practically every day. Then I heard through the grapevine that she had left Enchancia entirely.” He took a sip from his water glass, “As much as I’m ashamed of it now, I always assumed that Cedric had done something to her, maybe messed up a spell or a potion…”

As her family kept speculating amongst themselves about what could have happened between you and Cedric, Sofia looked down at her lap sadly. This talk had given her answers, but had left more questions in its wake.

Sofia sighed. That seemed to be the pattern.

-

You hid yourself in your room while you let your emotions run their course. You shouldn’t have bottled them up for as long as you did, as evident by the meltdown you were currently having.

Pacing back and forth, you dug through your mind to try and find the underlying cause of why you were feeling this overwhelming sadness, and why talking with Sofia had made it bubble to the surface. You knew it had to do with Cedric and the memories and feelings that had resurfaced recently, but you needed to be able to pinpoint exactly what was bugging you.

You had long ago resigned yourself to always carry the guilt about what happened, so you doubted that was what suddenly had you feeling like this. It was uncomfortable being back in Enchancia at first, but after a week that had dissipated. You realized that your emotions were stemming from Cedric, now you just had to narrow down whether it was his presence, or his lack of presence-

That was it. You gasped audibly when the pieces seemed to click together. Something about Cedric being noticeably absent from your life even though you now lived under the same roof (a large one, but not large enough to justify seeing him once in one month) was rubbing you the wrong way. It shouldn’t. You thought you were done concerning yourself with anything regarding Cedric, so why now were you feeling distressed over this?

Something Sofia said to you earlier kept echoing in your mind.

_”If you love each other, it’s not too late to fix everything.”_

You laughed bitterly. There was no chance that Cedric loved you, not after what happened, and after all those years you were gone. You were certain that that ship had sailed. It was probably in Avalor by now. He would be stupid to let himself still be hung up on those feelings after eight years.

You would know.

You wanted to move on, you even had yourself convinced you had moved on a couple of times over the years. But it wouldn’t last. All it took was one little thing to remind you of Cedric, one dream, one triggered memory, and you were back at square one. As much as you hated to admit it…

You were still just as hopelessly in love with Cedric as you were eight years ago.

-  
 _  
Dirt and pebbles crunched beneath your feet as you reached the base of the tower. None of the windows were emitting any light, signaling that everyone inside was asleep and the coast was clear. You found your usual foothold, expertly hoisting yourself up and scaling up the tower using protruding stones until you reached Cedric’s window. It wasn’t very high off the ground, but a fall from this height would definitely require immediate medical attention._

_You rapped lightly on the glass with your fingernails and waited._

_Within seconds, the window swung open, and Cedric peeked out, a worried expression on his face. “You’re late,” he said, his voice hushed._

_“I know,” you whispered, “I’m sorry. I had to be extra careful sneaking out of the house. My dad went to bed later than usual and I had to make sure he was asleep before-”_

_“Just get inside!” Cedric hissed, extending his arms and pulling you in._

_Your feet landed on the floor with a soft thump, thanks to the thick rug Cedric had put underneath the window, after too many close calls with his mother rushing up to investigate what had made a large and sudden thud._

_Dusting yourself off, your eyes scanned the room. Cedric’s room was always chaotic, but organized. Spellbooks and potion bottles were strewn haphazardly across every flat surface, but Cedric knew exactly where everything was at any given moment. The picture of Merlin still hung above Cedric’s desk, where a multitude of half-burned colored candles sat (you called it a fanboy shrine, Cedric insisted it wasn’t), and his bed was made meticulously, the handmade pillows gifted to Cedric by his mother arranged neatly._

_You turned to see Cedric watching you, a soft smile spread across his features._

_“What?” you laughed._

_Your voice seemed to snap Cedric out of his thoughts. “What?” he echoed back. It came out louder than he meant it to, and he cringed._

_You shushed him, stepping closer and resting your hands on Cedric’s forearms. “We don’t want to get caught, do we?”_

_Cedric grinned, wrapping an arm around your waist. “No, we most certainly-”_

_The two of you were suddenly alerted by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs to Cedric’s door. You had just enough time to quickly slide under Cedric’s bed while Cedric jumped underneath the blankets and pretended to be asleep. Just as you had tucked yourself out of sight, the door opened, and you could see the shadow of what looked like Cedric’s mother peeking inside._

_You watched as a pair of slippers crossed the room, and you heard the sound of the window closing, followed by the click of the latch. She then moved to stand by Cedric’s bed, her feet inches away from your face. You breath stilled in fear._

_“Goodnight, Ceddy,” you heard Winnifred say softly, followed by the sound of a gentle kiss, before you watched her feet retreat from your sight and out the door._

_You smiled to yourself. You adored Cedric’s mother, and almost felt guilty sneaking around behind her back like this. She was very fond of you, and you imagined that if she ever found out about you and Cedric’s secret meetings, she would simply smile and look the other way. Still, better to be safe than sorry._

_When you were both sure the coast was clear, you rolled out from under the bed, brushing some dust off of your clothes._

_Cedric pushed the covers back and moved to sit up, but before he could, you were already plopped down beside him, propping your elbow on his pillow as you gave him a sly grin._

_Cedric raised a confused brow. “Feeling a little bold, are we?”_

_“You know as well as I do that we were just going to end up here anyway,” you smirked. “We always do.”_  
  
-

Your eyes snapped open. You sat up in bed as the dream quickly vanished from your mind, leaving you only with the vague sense of nostalgia and longing.


	6. Journey To The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You aren't the only one dreaming of the past. Cordelia has a little chat with you. Sofia and Calista decide to use whatever means are necessary to uncover the truth about you and Cedric.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao remember when I said I would be posting twice a week? Good times those were.
> 
> Yeah, life and mental illness both rocked my world this past week, which made it hard to do anything that wasn't just basic functioning. I also went back and rewrote this entire chapter the night I was going to post it because I didn't like the way the story was going, so that put a bit of a delay on things. I also had chapters seven and eight finished, but I had to delete them after I rewrote this chapter because I fucked up the plot so drastically. I only cried for twenty minutes losing weeks worth of work, it's fine. Everything's fine.
> 
> Hopefully I haven't contradicted anything from previous chapters >_>

_  
Pacing the floor anxiously, Cedric looked at the clock on the wall for the fifth time in what felt like an hour, but was really twelve minutes. You should have been here by now._

_Maybe you had been caught this time._

_The thought turned Cedric’s blood to ice. He knew the consequences of trespassing on palace grounds, and they weren’t good. If by some miracle you had managed to slip past the guards once again, Cedric vowed to make this the last time he let you risk everything just to visit him. If anything, you could take turns. Tomorrow night, he could be the one to sneak out-_

_A light tapping on the window frightened Cedric out of his worries, but relief spread through him when he saw your face, smiling cheekily at him as you waved._

_Pushing open the window, Cedric reached out to pull you inside, biting at his lower lip in worry. “As much as I love the thrill of this ‘meeting in secret nearly every night’ thing we have going, perhaps we could come up with a different arrangement,” Cedric whispered, shutting the window slowly to minimize any noise. “Maybe one that doesn’t constantly put you at risk of being thrown in the dungeon.”_

_“No way, mister,” you said with a quiet laugh, “this is fun. How else am I going to get this wonderful rush of adrenaline?”_

_Cedric sighed, but he smiled. Your answer didn’t surprise him a bit._

_Without a word, Cedric pulled you in close, admiring the way your eyes reflected the moonlight coming in through the window. He delicately ran his fingers through your hair, taking in the soft sigh you gave in response._

_Cedric leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to your lips, his heart fluttering when you reciprocated. Every kiss with you felt like it was the first. The way you both seemed to fit perfectly in each other’s arms made Cedric feel like he was in heaven. He never wanted this moment to end.  
_

-

Jerking awake with a startled gasp, Cedric looked around frantically. He sighed when he realized that he must have fallen asleep at his desk again. Great. His neck was going to be weirdly stiff now.

Snippets of his dream flashed into his mind. An uncomfortable feeling of dread spread through him; he hadn’t dreamed about the past in years and had been incredibly thankful for that. Seeing you again and having to confront old feelings must be affecting him more than he thought.

-

The days leading up to Calista’s Sorceress Ball kept you busy, even more busy than you had been before. Baileywick kept a tight schedule and had everyone rushing around to prepare for the ball, ensuring that everything was perfect. Amber had insisted that you make Calista a new dress, an idea that Sofia was on board with as well. You couldn’t turn them down, especially with the way Calista looked up at you, pitifully adorable as usual. You only hoped that Cordelia wouldn’t be around for too much of the process, you didn’t think you could take the awkwardness.

But of course, because life can’t ever be easy, Cordelia was there, keeping an eye on you as you took down Calista’s measurements. She didn’t seem threatening, sitting in a chair in the corner of the room filing her nails, but her presence still unnerved you.

“All right sweetie,” you said to Calista as you jotted down the last of her measurements, “that should do it. Now I just need to know what color you want the dress to-”

“Red!” Calista shouted. “Please,” she added sheepishly after receiving a scolding look from her mother.

You smiled. “Red it is. I can have the dress ready by the night before the ball, that will give us time to make any adjustments without it being at the last minute. Sound good?” You were addressing Calista, but your gaze shifted over to Cordelia.

Cordelia nodded with a smile. “That sounds wonderful. What do you say, Calista?”

Calista beamed up at you, “Thank you so much, you’re the best!”

You would absolutely die for this little girl. “It’s my pleasure.”

Cordelia dismissed Calista, telling her to go run along and play with Sofia, but stopped you before you could leave. “I was hoping we could have a little chat,” she said. The smile on her face did anything but comfort you.

You sighed. You knew you couldn’t avoid her forever. Besides, maybe it was best to talk and get it over with. What’s the worst thing she could say to you?

“Of course,” you said, putting your sewing basket back down and taking a seat in one of the armchairs by the fireplace. You stayed quiet, waiting for Cordelia to speak first.

“I want to start by saying you don’t have to be afraid of me,” Cordelia said at last. Her lips curved into an amused smirk. “The look in your eyes every time you saw me gave you away. But don’t worry, I don’t hate you. Not anymore, anyway.”

“Gee, thanks,” you deadpanned.

Cordelia shrugged, “You broke my brother’s heart, I had to hate you for a little bit. But I understand why you made your decision, and I agree you chose right.”

“You do?” you said in shock. You never guessed that Cordelia would be on your side. She and Cedric despised each other when they were younger, but Cordelia always put her family first whenever she could. She was very loyal. Hearing that she sided with you on the matter was a surprise, to say the least.

“Yes, I’m a very firm believer that a woman should always put herself and her needs first, even if it might make a man unhappy. I’ve always believed so, but now I have the firsthand experience to back it up.”

You had a hunch that Cordelia was referring to Calista’s father, and you tensed, unsure of what to say. You had heard some of the other maids gossiping, speculating where he could be, and you found out all you needed to hear. You could imagine it wasn’t a subject she discussed often.

“Besides, what happened between you and Cedric is all water under the bridge, for me at least,” Cordelia continued, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I certainly can’t speak for my brother, but I would like to put the past behind us. I’ve turned over a handful of new leaves in the past few years, some that I never thought I would. I’d like for us to start over, like none of that mess ever happened.”

You could tell Cordelia meant what she said, her smile genuine and her hand outstretched to shake your own. You accept, putting your hand in hers and smiling gratefully up at her. “I’d like that too.”

Cordelia smirked. “Good. Now we can get on with discussing you and Cedric.”

 _‘Ah, nuts,’_ you thought. You walked right into this.

“I had a long talk with Cedric the other day,” Cordelia said as she sat in the armchair opposite you, “about you, of course. Being the good sister I am, I had to check in on my little brother and make sure that he was doing okay, given the current situation.” She looked you up and down, implying she was referring to you and your presence in the castle.

“So… how is he?” you asked hesitantly.

Cordelia smirked. “I think you need to ask him that yourself.”

You huffed, propping your elbow on the armrest. “Maybe I would, if I ever saw him. I’ve only spoken to him once in the month and a half that I’ve been here, and I haven’t even seen him since. He’s really good at avoiding me.”

Cordelia hummed and pursed her lips as she thought. “I suspected as much.” Her hands clapped together as an idea struck her, “You’ll just have to go up to his workshop yourself then, if he’s not going to be the brave one.”

You blanched at the suggestion. “You have no idea how much I cannot do that.”

“I don’t see why not, dear.”

“Well I do.”

“Do what?”

“See why not.”

Cordelia rolled her eyes as she stood up from her chair. “Darling, you’re being ridiculous about this whole thing. Both of you are.”

You sighed heavily. “Maybe, but this isn’t as easy as just forgiving and forgetting and acting like nothing ever happened. It’s been hard enough for me to let go of the past, I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for Cedric.”

Cordelia smiled, her heart warmed by how much you still clearly cared for her brother. “It’s never too late,” she said, her voice reassuring. “I’m sure he would love to speak to you, even if he’s too much of a chicken to approach you himself.”

“How am I going to do that?” Your hands gestured wildly, frustration building up inside of you. “What am I supposed to do, waltz in there and say ‘Hey, how’s it going Cedric, remember when I broke your heart into a million pieces by leaving you to go out and see the world on my own?’ Let’s talk about that!’ Because I don’t think that would go over well at all.”

Cordelia chuckled. “Not that it’s any of my business-”

“It really isn't.”

“-but I think maybe you two _should_ talk about that. It would be better than avoiding each other and pretending to be complete strangers for the rest of your life.”

You stuck your lower lip out in a half pout. “Cedric was the one who started that…”

With a huff, Cordelia headed towards the door. “I don’t care if he started it,” she turned to you, her hand on the doorknob, “someone needs to finish it.”

-

Outside the door, Calista crouched, listening intently to the discussion going on inside the room. When she heard footsteps approaching the door, she dashed down the hall, her first priority to find Sofia and share this revelation.

-

After Calista briefed Sofia on everything she had just heard, the two sat and puzzled, trying to piece together what could have happened.

“So she spent years traveling the world,” Sofia reflected on all the information she had been given so far, “and left Mr. Cedric. I understand why that could have upset him, but why did their relationship have to come to an end? They could have kept in touch with letters, and they could have still seen each other from time to time.”

“Maybe Uncle Cedric didn’t want to do long distance?” Calista suggested.

Sofia shook her head. “When I talked to him the other day, he told me he still loves her. And even if he hadn’t told me, it was very obvious. It doesn’t make any sense for Mr. Cedric to be against a long distance relationship if he loved her so much.”

The two girls sat quietly in thought once again, when an idea suddenly came to Calista. “Sofia, I brought my looking back glass with me,” she said excitedly, “We could use that to find out what really happened!”

Hesitant, Sofia bit her lip in thought. “I don’t know, this seems like something really personal. Wouldn’t that be snooping?”

“Maybe,” Calista said, “but remember how we used it to find out what the incident was between Mummy and Uncle Cedric and fixed their relationship? What if we can fix everything again?” Calista looked at Sofia with pleading eyes.

Sofia hummed. This situation seemed much more serious than a grudge between siblings, but she couldn’t think of any other options. “I guess you’re right. Okay, let’s go.”

-

Standing in front of the mirror, Sofia and Calista nodded to each other and stepped through the glass.

No sooner had the two fully crossed into the mirror did Sofia recognize the setting as the fountain in the castle gardens. From observing the sizes of the trees and shrubs, which weren’t even half as tall as they were today, Sofia could already tell that this memory was from many years ago. “This happened much more than eight years ago...”

Calista nodded in agreement. Her attention was caught by voices a short distance away. Looking around, she eventually spotted two figures standing amongst the budding blooms. It was hard to tell in the dim twilight, but she could just barely make out who the figures were. “Come on,” she motioned to Sofia to follow, and they went closer to try and hear what was being said.

As they approached the figures, confirming that it was indeed you and Cedric, they could hear hushed voices, like they were keeping quiet so as to not get caught. That, combined with the odd time of night, led Sofia to believe that you had snuck into the garden to meet Cedric, probably not for the first time. She couldn’t help but smile at the cliche romantic gesture.

Sofia focused when she could hear your voice more clearly.

“-elieve we’re both done with school,” you said, your voice an excited whisper.

Cedric grinned, sitting perched on the edge of the fountain, “I know, no more homework or tests or waking up at the crack of dawn.”

“You’re still going to wake up at the crack of dawn, you early bird.”

Cedric laughed, shrugging in a “you got me” gesture.

The cogs turned in Sofia's brain. She remembered learning that Cedric graduated when he was in his twenties, and since you couldn't have gone to Hexley Hall or Royal Prep, that left the Dunwiddie school. Students didn't spend nearly as many years at Dunwiddie as they do at Hexley Hall, which would make you a few years younger than Cedric. Sofia wasn't sure if you were even twenty yet. _'She can't be more than a couple years older than me in this memory,'_ Sofia realized.

Cedric cleared his throat. “So, do you, uh,” a shy blush spread across his cheeks as he spoke, “do you have any big plans, now that you’re done with school?”

You looked up, squinting in thought. “Not really. I never did figure out what job I want,” you mused, “I suppose I should get on that. Can’t live with my parents forever, and I need an income to afford my own place. What about you? I mean, besides preparing to be the greatest royal sorcerer this kingdom has ever seen.” You moved to sit beside Cedric and caresses his cheek in your hand. You gave Cedric a proud smile, making his blush darken.

“Oh, n-n-not really,” Cedric stuttered, “being the royal sorcerer is all I've ever worked towards. My father is retiring soon, so I don’t have to wait much longer.”

“Sounds like pretty big plans to me, aren’t you excited?”

Cedric's brows creased with worry. “I guess I am, but... it’s going to be lonely, living by myself in that tower.”

“Well it’s a good thing you’ve got Wormwood for company, then,” you laughed, playfully nudging Cedric in the shoulder.

Cedric let out an annoyed huff. “A bird isn’t a substitute for the company of a human being.”

“I’ll visit you every day, don’t worry,” you reassured him, leaning your head on his shoulder lovingly and nestling your body against his to shield it from the chilly night air. “And now we don’t have to be so careful about seeing each other at night. I could even sleep over, instead of having to climb out a window at four o’clock in the morning and sneak all the way back home. Everything is going to be so much easier now.”

Cedric nodded, resting his head atop yours. “Or,” he added, “you could just live with me.”

You laughed. 

“I’m not kidding.”

Your laughter stopped. Slowly, you sat up and turned to look at Cedric, whose expression made it very clear that he was, in fact, completely serious. Unsure of how to respond, you gave an awkward laugh. “I don’t think I’d be allowed to live in the castle if I wasn’t part of the staff. Are you saying I should apply, or…?”

“N-no, I’m just saying…” Cedric said, clearing his throat, “I’m sure Roland would make an exception for you if- I mean, we’d be allowed to live together if we were-” Taking a deep, nervous breath, Cedric reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, delicate ring. He turned towards you, holding out his hand and presenting the ring to you.

You knew what was happening the moment Cedric showed you the ring, and your heart stopped.

A sudden wave of calm seemed to overcome Cedric, and he no longer looked or sounded nervous. He looked into your eyes with more sincerity than you thought Cedric was capable of. “I want you to be my wife,” he said, his eyes still locked onto yours.

“Oh my,” you gasped. You tried to wrap your head around what was happening, but nothing seemed real. Cedric couldn’t be asking you to marry him, no, there’s no way… Your eyes darted between Cedric’s hopeful eyes and his outstretched hand, where the moonlight made the ring glisten. It matched your necklace--a gift Cedric had given you for your birthday--and made you wonder where Cedric could have gotten it and how he had even been able to afford it. It must have come with the necklace as a set, which means that Cedric had been considering proposing to you for-

You gasped. _’Oh.’_

Seeing your surprised expression made Cedric chuckle. He could see you trying to form words, your mouth opening to speak but to no avail. He hadn’t meant to overwhelm you. “That’s okay, take your time,” he teased you. He took your hand and placed the ring onto your palm, letting you inspect it. “Also, it might be a little small, so, be careful if you try it on.”

The ring’s size was the last thing on your mind at the moment.

“Do you like it?” Cedric asked, worried by your silence.

You swallowed. Your throat felt dry. “It’s beautiful, really it is.”

Cedric didn’t seem satisfied with your answer. “Something’s wrong,” he said quietly. “Is everything okay?”

Though your head was swarming with thoughts, none of them seemed to come out when you tried to speak. “I-I, I don’t even know where to-... There’s so much to-” You shook your head to focus and try to form a complete sentence. “Cedric, this is… sudden, to say the least. We’ve been together for barely a year, it’s too soon to-”

“I know that,” Cedric said, taking your hands in his. “I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve loved you for far longer. Years.”

Warmth bloomed in your chest, but the bitter feeling of panic lingered.

“I meant what I said earlier about being lonely, I’m going to be living in an isolated tower for the next few decades, and I hate the idea of living there alone. I want you to be there with me. But I don’t want you to just visit, I want to spend every moment with you. I want your face to be the last thing I see before I go to sleep, and the first thing I see when I wake up.

“But more importantly, I want to be there for you. You said yourself that you don’t know how you’re going to support yourself and find a place of your own. I want to take care of you, to provide for you, I want to make sure you never have to worry about any of that ever again. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be safe and happy, and I can’t think of a better way to make sure you’re both of those things than to get married and start our life together.”

With every word Cedric said, your heart ached. Not just from the love you felt for this man, but because you dreaded what you knew was going to happen next.

“You can think about it,“ Cedric said quickly, “it’s not like I’m expecting an answer right now-”

“I can’t do this.”

“Right, this is a lot of pressure on you, so you can-”

“Cedric-”

“I know, just take as long as you need to-”

“ _Cedric_ ,” you said a little louder to get his attention, not caring if your voice gave the two of you away to the castle guards. “My answer is no.”

Cedric’s smile faltered.

Your eyes drifted away to the ground, unable to look at Cedric’s pained expression. “When I said I didn’t have any plans for my life now, that wasn’t a bad thing. There’s a whole world out there, everything is wide open and there’s so much I can do and so many places I can go. I have the wonderful privilege to be able to take the time to travel the world and learn things that I couldn’t learn in school just sitting at a desk. I may not have a plan, but I know what I want.”

Cedric’s smile returned, hearing you talk so passionately about your goals and what you want reminded him of why he had fallen in love with you in the first place. “What if I came with you?” Cedric suggested.

“You can’t, Cedric. You know your father is retiring very soon, and you’ll have to stay here in the palace once you take over as the royal sorcerer. And you still have so much training to do until then, there’s no way you could be gone for so long.”

Cedric knew you were right, but he hated it. He pursed his lips as he thought. “Well, I’ll just have to wait for you then.”

“Cedric,” you said softly, “I’d be gone for months at a time, if I came back at all. We’d barely see each other. What kind of a marriage is that?”

“We can make it work,” Cedric said sadly, his eyes meeting yours. He was starting to realize that you were slipping away between his fingers. He was losing you. “I would rather see you for only a few days a year than never see you again. I love you too much to lose you. Please, just- at least consider it, won’t you?”

Looking into Cedric’s pleading eyes made your stomach twist with guilt. With trembling hands, you gave the ring back to Cedric. “I’m sorry,” you said, shaking your head sadly. “I can’t.”

Cedric was silent. He could only watch as you unclasped the necklace from around your neck--Sofia recognized it as the necklace Cedric had in his workshop--and placed it in his hands alongside the ring, closing his fingers around it tenderly with your hand.

Sofia recognized the necklace as the one Cedric kept in his workshop.

Cedric raised his eyes to yours, which were glassy with unshed tears. “So, is this goodbye?”

You lowered your gaze to the ground, your hands still holding tightly onto Cedric's. “I’m not sure.”

“Do you want it to be?”

Of course not. You couldn’t stand the thought of a goodbye. Not like this. Looking back up at Cedric, heart aching when you saw a single tear streaking down his face, you shook your head. “No, I don’t. But I don’t know what else to say.” A moment of silence passed. “Does this mean… are we…?”

Cedric was quiet as he mulled it over. “If you don't wan't to marry me, and you'd rather spend your life elsewhere, then what's the point?”

You hated the way he phrased it, but you supposed he was right. You nodded sadly.

“Then I guess this is goodbye.”

You knew it was coming, but the words still struck you, causing more pain than any physical wound ever could. Your vision blurred, and you were suddenly aware of the tears spilling from your eyes.

Cedric brought a hand up to gently caress your face, stroking your damp cheek with his thumb. He was upset with you, but he still hated seeing you cry. “I’ll always love you. You believed in me, and I'm forever grateful that you were always there for me. Don’t you ever forget that.” Cedric managed a weak smile through his own tears. 

You returned the teary smile. “I won’t. I promise.”

Every part of Cedric was screaming at him to kiss you, but he couldn’t bring himself to, knowing it would be the last. If he started, he didn’t think he could ever stop. He knew he wouldn’t want to stop. He briefly tried to recall the last time he had kissed you, thinking bitterly how he hadn’t been able to truly appreciate it as the last kiss the two of you would ever share. Memories of lasts flashed in his mind, and he had to will them away. He couldn’t think about those, not right now, and not for a long, long time.

Stuffing the ring and the necklace into his pocket with a heavy sigh, Cedric pried his hand out of your tight grasp, taking several steps back. With a final goodbye, he turned and walked back toward the palace, for what he assumed would be the last time.

Tearing your eyes from Cedric, you quietly snuck out of the garden. The feeling that you had just made a horrible mistake gnawed at your insides. Looking back one last time over your shoulder, you hurried to leave, breaking into a sprint once you were far enough where nobody could hear you. Your hand clasped over your mouth to silence your sobs as you disappeared from sight.

Sofia and Calista gasped as they were yanked out of the past and back to reality, landing unceremoniously on the cold marble floor with a thud. Neither knew what to say. They exchanged shocked looks, processing what they had just witnessed.

This was much worse than either of them could have imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not happy with how this turned out but I'm done fussing over this chapter and am 100% ready to move on and start reworking the rest of the chapters ngl ._.


	7. Dancing On My Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time for Calista's sorceress ball! Will the rift between you and Cedric finally be mended, or will it get worse?

You realized you had been standing in the same spot for thirty minutes, unmoving as you stared down the door to Cedric’s workshop. Your fist was raised in an attempt to knock, but it had been frozen in place for about half of the time you had been standing there. This shouldn’t be as hard as it was. You gave an annoyed sigh as you continued to silently hype yourself up, trying to work up the nerve to do something. Anything. Perhaps move, or knock.

 _’I can do this,’_ you thought with a determined nod. _’He might not even answer, maybe he’s not in there_ -’

On cue the sound of something exploding came from the other side of the door, followed by Cedric’s muffled swearing.

_’...Okay, he’s definitely in there.’_

You gave yourself the final push to force your arm forward and thump your knuckles against the door three times before yanking your arm back, as if the door had burned you. Now you waited, your heart in your throat.

A few moments passed before the door was swung open, revealing an annoyed Cedric sporting a face covered with charred patches and a single singed hair sticking up at an unnatural angle. His irritated expression immediately shifted to disbelief when he saw you, and he staggered backwards in his surprise.

“Hello Cedric,” you said, surprising yourself at your ability to even form words in the moment. “Is this, uh, a bad time?” you asked, eyes darting down to his robe, the front of which was equally as charred as his face.

“N-no, not at all,” Cedric said as he wiped his face with his sleeve in an attempt to clean it, which only resulted in the soot being smeared around. He moved to the side and gestured for you to enter.

Stepping into Cedric’s workshop for the first time in years was surreal. Not much had changed, though last time you had been here it was still his father’s workshop. It was messier than Goodwyn had kept it, but still had a sense of order to it, like everything had been placed intentionally. You smiled. It was just as you had pictured it.

“So,” Cedric said, clearing his throat, “what do you need?” He stood unmoving by the door, his arms stiff at his side. His eyes avoided yours, choosing instead to wander around the room and focus on literally anything else. He looked uncomfortable.

Coincidentally, your discomfort was about on the same level as Cedric’s. You almost regretted coming here, but you knew you’d regret not doing it more. “Look,” you sighed, “we started off- er, continued on the wrong foot. I know we haven’t seen each other in years and things ended on a terrible note, but I don’t want things to be so weird and awkward between us. We’re going to both be in the castle for who knows how long, and I don’t want to keep avoiding each other. And I _know_ you’ve been avoiding me,” you added when Cedric raised an eyebrow in question. “I think we should… talk.”

Cedric’s expression softened. “Talk?”

“Yes,” you said, “maybe it would clear the air a bit if we acknowledged what happened and moved past it.”

A few moments of silence passed, and you wondered if Cedric was going to continue to pretend he didn’t know you or what you were talking about, even though it was just the two of you here. But then he spoke, “King Roland has asked a favor of me and I’m very busy. I have a lot of work to do and very little time to get it all done.”

“But you said it wasn’t a bad time-”

“I don’t have time for discussions,” Cedric continued, opening the door and motioning for you to leave. “Maybe… maybe some other time.” He sounded almost apologetic as he said this, but his face held a stony expression, hiding from you whatever he was really feeling.

You stood your ground, however, staring Cedric down with determination. “I know you don’t want to talk about this, or bring up the past. I get it. You have no idea how long it took me to get myself up here to do this. But if we keep going the way we are, it’s only going to get worse. I don’t want things to get worse.”

Cedric met your stare, his expression unreadable.

“I don’t expect us to go back to the way we were before. That’s not what I’m asking. I only ask that we just… talk. Maybe not right now, since you’re obviously so busy,” you said sarcastically, eyeing the burnt remains of a potion sitting on Cedric’s desk, “but preferably sooner than later. I don’t want to be a stranger to you, and I don’t want to act like you’re a stranger to me. And I think to fix that we’re going to have to talk about a lot of things. So, whenever you’re ready, I’d like for you to come find me. I’ll be waiting.”

Without waiting for a response, you quickly walked past Cedric and out the door, hurrying down the tower stairs as your heart hammered at your eardrums. Your curiosity ran wild and your mind buzzed, wondering what Cedric’s behavior could mean. You hated this. Not knowing what Cedric was thinking, being unable to talk with him about everything, it was driving you nuts. You hoped Cedric felt just as confused, it wasn’t fair for you to be the only one out of the two of you that seemed to be putting effort into mending things.

If Cedric kept shutting you out like this, you would soon give up trying altogether.

-

Once Cedric had finished slamming his forehead against the door to punish himself for his stupidity, he sat at his desk with his head in his hands, groaning at the mistake he had made. Here he had been presented with an opportunity on a gold platter, the chance to talk to you and clear everything up like he had been yearning to for weeks, and he chose to squander it by letting his nerves take over and make him say and do idiotic things. Like, for instance, telling you to leave, after you had clearly worked up the courage to come to him and be the bigger person by attempting to start the conversation that Cedric was too weak to start himself.

Cedric groaned again, dropping his head to his desk with a dull thunk.

If one good thing was to come out of this mess, it was that Cedric knew he couldn’t mess up again if he was ever lucky enough to get another chance.

-

All too quickly, the day of Calista’s sorceress ball arrived, and the castle was bustling as everyone pitched in to help prepare. You had been assigned to the team of maids in charge of scrubbing the floor of the ballroom, which took several days to complete to Baileywick’s satisfaction. This didn’t leave you with a lot of free time most days, but you managed to make a few adjustments to the dress you wore to the last ball, making it look and feel brand new. Amber would never forgive you for wearing the same gown twice, and never hearing the end of that was the last thing you wanted. Besides, you knew Amber wasn’t the only one who would take notice of a faux pas like that, and you didn’t want to be a blemish on what was supposed to be Calista’s big day.

On the day before the ball, as you and the other maids were hurriedly scrubbing at the expensive tile, Baileywick brought in Cordelia and Calista to get their input on the decorations, and Cedric had accompanied them, trailing a couple feet behind as Baileywick led them around the room. You had nearly dropped your sponge when you looked up and saw him. Whether he noticed you or not, he paid you no attention, instead listening to Baileywick politely but with an obviously bored expression written clearly on his face.

“And over here I thought we could set up the table for the gifts,” Baileywick gestured to the space by a large window, “I have several tablecloths set aside for Calista to choose from- all red, of course.” He smiled when Calista’s face lit up.

Cordelia admired the spacious ballroom, eyeing everything as she imagined the possibilities. “Everything looks wonderful, Baileywick,” she said appreciatively.

“It’s my pleasure. Now, I don’t suppose you have somebody to accompany you to this party?” Baileywick asked, a teasing smirk on his face.

Cordelia laughed, “Oh, of course not. I’ve given up finding someone for years now. Calista and I do just fine on our own.” She smiled down at Calista, who smiled back and gave her mother a thumbs up.

Calista then turned to Cedric, who stood a short distance away, lost in thought and not paying attention to what was going on. “Are you going to bring somebody, Uncle Cedric?”

Snapping back to reality, Cedric looked taken aback by the question. “What? Oh, um…”

You could feel the color drain from your face. You didn’t want to hear his answer. If Cedric indeed had a date to Calista’s ball, you didn’t think you could stomach the idea. If he didn’t, you’d just be getting your hopes up. Either way, you didn’t want to stick around and be forced to hear the rest of this conversation.

You quietly stood and leaned over to one of the other maids. “I still have a lot of work to do on my dress,” you whispered, hoping Cedric wouldn’t hear you and be alerted of your presence, “think I could duck out a little early?”

The other maid--you think her name was Violet--smiled and waved a dismissive hand. “Of course you can go, you’ve worked more than hard enough all week.”

You thanked her quietly and hurried away, opening the large door as silently as you could. You did have some last minute details you needed to finish for your dress, so you decided to focus on that to distract yourself from thinking about the possibility of Cedric coming to the ball with a date.

In your haste to leave the room, you failed to notice Cedric’s eyes watching you in disappointment as the door closed behind you.

-

The night of the ball, knots filled your stomach and made your hands tremble in both excitement and nervousness. You put the last finishing touches on your hair and makeup, satisfied with your handiwork as you stepped away from the mirror. You wanted to look your best for tonight. Far be it from you to do anything just to impress a man, but the smallest piece of your heart was holding onto hope that Cedric would notice you tonight. You knew he was going to be there and that the guest list wasn’t as extensive as the last ball, so you knew your chances of running into him were high. You only hoped that he wasn’t kept busy the entire night, ruining those chances.

You recalled what you had told him the last time you spoke, how you expected him to find you when he was ready to talk. He either still wasn’t ready, or he had been unsuccessful in catching you during one of your scarce free moments in the past week. Either one wasn’t ideal. Talking before this ball would have been preferred, but you couldn’t let yourself get hung up on that, instead you chose to remain hopeful for tonight.

In the back of your mind, however, you knew that the way Cedric behaved towards you tonight would tell you all you needed to know about his intentions and how he feels about you. If he came to the ball unaccompanied, of course.

Bending over to wedge your feet into your heels, you shook your head to shoo those worries away.

-

You were relieved to find that most of the guests had already arrived, meaning fewer eyes were on you when you walked into the room. You stepped to the side once you entered, choosing to be a wallflower like usual for the time being. Eventually you spotted Cedric, standing with Cordelia and chatting with somebody you didn’t recognize. Your heart dropped. Cedric's date, perhaps? But looking closer, you saw the stranger had their arm linked with another. They were probably just another sorcerer that Cedric was acquainted with.

You could feel your cheeks turning bright pink with shame. You hated how much you were fussing over this.

Once the festivities had picked up a bit, you saw Sofia, who saw you as well and weaved through the crowd towards you.

“You came!” Sofia smiled, excited to see you.

“Of course I did,” you said. You thought about Calista, and how she had begged you to attend the ball. You were starting to grow fond of her, like you would with a younger sister or a cousin. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Sofia said as she grasped your hand and led you away from the wall and towards the crowd, “there’s somebody I think you should talk to.”

You chuckled. “And who might that be?” You figured she meant someone important, like royalty, or a prominent sorcerer, that she was excited to introduce you to, but looking up, you saw Cedric, spluttering irritatedly at Calista, who was tugging on his arm and dragging him over to you. Your eyes met, and you both realized immediately what the girls’ motives were when they let go of your arms and nudged the two of you closer together.

“Have fun!” Calista grinned as she followed Sofia and disappeared into the crowd.

Cedric scowled at the girls as they scurried away before looking back to you. The two of you shared nervous smiles, standing around awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

“It’s good to see you,” you said at last.

Cedric’s cheeks flushed. “Y-you too,” he stuttered.

You took a moment to admire his formal attire, so different from his usual simple robe. “You look very nice.”

“As do you,” Cedric said. A moment of silence passed before Cedric cleared his throat. “Would you… like to dance?” His voice jumped up nearly an octave on the word ‘dance’ and you had to bite your tongue to not laugh.

“I would love to,” you said with a smile. You took Cedric’s arm, and as he led you to the dance floor your eyes caught Sofia’s, who fanned her hands in a “go on” motion, smiling excitedly at you. Calista stood beside her, looking just as excited.

Those meddling, adorable little weasels planned this. You’d have to scold them, then thank them, later.

Assuming the waltz position was muscle memory to you--you’d had your fair share of dances by this point in your life--but somehow it felt foreign, since Cedric was the one you were dancing with. The two of you hadn’t been this close in many years. You felt like you were a teenager again; awkward and klutzy, head foggy with overwhelming thoughts and feelings as you and Cedric moved to the music. You hated that Cedric was having this affect on you but you had to admit, it felt kind of nice.

You forgot that Cedric was a decent dancer, but you were quickly reminded as the two of you began to practically glide across the floor. Your eyes drifted to the other couples around you, avoiding even glancing in Cedric’s general direction, but you were forced to meet his eyes when he spoke to you.

“It’s been years since we danced like this, hasn’t it?” he said, his features soft as he reminisced.

You hadn’t expected to hear Cedric remember the past so fondly, and his small, shy smile was infectious. It was so different from the cold Cedric you had spoken to in his workshop. Giving your own smile, you recalled the memory. “Pretty sure the last time we danced was at the ball celebrating Amber and James’ eighth birthday.”

“It was,” Cedric said, “I remember you couldn’t believe how many people showed up for what was essentially a child’s birthday party.”

You laughed, a pink blush dusting your cheeks. “I’ve never seen a more formal event put on for a couple of kids.”

Cedric echoed your laughter, the sound making butterflies flutter inside you.

You looked down shyly, “I’m surprised you remember that.”

Cedric looked at you, puzzled. “Remember what?”

“All of it,” you said. “That night, what I said about so many people showing up… I didn’t think you would remember any of that. It seems so trivial, and it was so long ago.”

Cedric cocked his head. “What makes you think I didn’t remember?”

You said nothing, only raising an eyebrow in bemusement.

Cedric instantly understood what you were referring to. He glanced away awkwardly. “Well,” he stuttered, “I, you see- uh, w-what happened was-” He gave up with a sigh.

You giggled at Cedric’s attempts to explain himself. You still wanted to hear his reasoning for his behavior, but just talking and laughing with Cedric and finding out that he hadn’t become a jerk, that he was still the same sweet, bumbling mess you knew, was enough for you. For now.

Cedric’s eyes locked onto yours, and in that moment you felt a rush of emotions, too many to even identify. You just knew that your legs suddenly felt very weak.

When Cedric spoke, his voice was low, like he didn’t want anyone but you to hear what he was saying. “I think I’d like to have that talk now.”

Your heart jolted. Now? In one evening you had gone from doubting that Cedric wanted anything to do with you and seeing him twice in a little over a month and a half, to being less than a foot away from him with his hand in yours and his arm around your waist, and he suddenly wanted to talk to you about something serious in the middle of a party. It was… a lot. “Cedric, I-”

You were interrupted by someone tapping on your shoulder. Turning around, you were met with a man dressed in an expensive looking suit, his hand outstretched toward you.

“I hope you don’t mind me cutting in, I’ve just been having the worst luck finding a dance partner.” He gave you a charming but sincere smile, “Won’t you have pity on a poor man and spare just one dance?”

Your eyes darted back to Cedric before turning back and giving the man a kind smile. “I’d be happy to,” you said.

As the man led you away, you gave Cedric an apologetic look over your shoulder. His mouth was curved in a frown, and he turned to make his way through the crowd and away from the dance floor.

Sighing, you started a slow waltz with the man, who seemed friendly enough, but while he tried to engage in polite small talk, you were distracted by thoughts of Cedric. You were starting to regret not taking the opportunity to talk with him.

You hoped you hadn’t just ruined your chances for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm uhhh Very Bad at writing endings to stories, so once I get to the climax I tend to kinda flail around trying to find a way to tie up all the loose ends. And as of right now, I only have a handful of chapters left until the end. I apologize in advance if the second half of this fic dips in quality, I'm torn between the plot being too rushed and dragging it out for too long.
> 
> I may have to take back what I said about updating twice a week, if you hadn't already figured it out already lol. Sorry for teasing y'all.


	8. Somewhere Only We Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If life went the way we planned or wanted it to go, it would be very boring, wouldn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent two weeks making this the last chapter and resolving all the conflict and ending this fic on a happily ever after, but of course my cretin brain couldn't have that and made me write another version of the chapter where things only get worse thus expanding this plot for god knows how many more chapters.
> 
> Take a wild fucking guess which one I chose.

The sun slowly sunk behind the mountains in the distance, but Calista’s ball was still just as lively as the night turned the sky a sparkling blue. You hadn’t laid eyes on Cedric for almost an hour now, making you give up all hope of seeing him again tonight.

Now feeling much less cheerful than before, you snuck out and wandered down the dark, empty castle hallway. When you were far enough away from the party, the castle was silent, aside from each of your audible steps on the polished marble floor. It was unusual for the castle to be this quiet. The silence allowed your mind to swarm with worries, thinking back to your interaction with Cedric as regret gnawed at your insides. You wondered, maybe if you went to his workshop tomorrow, he would still be willing to speak with you.

You doubted it.

With a defeated sigh, you looked up and realized you had walked all the way to the doors to the castle garden. You hadn’t seen those doors in years. Somehow, in your time working here, you hadn’t had a chance to stop by.

‘ _I guess now is as good a time as any,_ ’ you thought with a shrug.

You tugged on the door handle and stepped outside, the cool night air making goosebumps pop up on the exposed skin of your arms. Your eyes wandered around the lavish shrubberies and flowers, which were maintained to perfection without a single flaw to be seen. It was just like you remembered it.

Almost like muscle memory, you started down one of the stone paths, weaving through perfectly pruned shrubs and trees decorated with gently glowing lights. Though the foliage had changed a bit since you had last been here, there was still a comforting familiarity to it, and you felt a wave of nostalgia hit you.

Soon, you could hear the faint sound of water from the fountain nearby, and your heart leapt. So many memories were made at that fountain, some bad, some good. A familiar longing tugged at your heart, and you quickened your pace, eager to go back to that spot.

To your surprise, sitting on the stone ledge of the fountain you saw Cedric, who turned around with a start when he heard your footsteps. He looked just as surprised to see you.

You stopped in your tracks. “I’m sorry,” you said, turning to leave. “I didn’t know you were-”

“Don’t go,” Cedric said quickly, “I’ve been waiting to get you alone all evening. It seems you’re very popular.” He smiled at you, encouraging you to stay.

And you did. You returned the smile, walking over and sitting beside him, keeping a few feet of distance between the two of you. You fussed with your gown, bunching it up and trying to free your legs from the layers of fabric that twisted around them. You felt your cheeks heat up when Cedric chuckled at you. You smiled sheepishly at him before silence washed over you. It wasn’t uncomfortable silence, but it bothered you still.

Taking a deep breath, you finally spoke. “Earlier, you said you wanted to talk. Now seems like a pretty good time, don’t you think?”

“Oh,” Cedric said, seemingly surprised you even brought it up, “yes, I… I wanted to apologize,” Cedric looked down awkwardly, fiddling with his sleeve as he talked, “for the way I behaved toward you when you came to me the other day. I shouldn’t have been so quick to throw you out like that.”

You smiled appreciatively at the apology. “It’s okay,” you reassured him, “I understand. I knew there was a chance you wouldn’t want to talk-”

“I did,” Cedric butted in, “I had wanted to talk to you for weeks, but I… I couldn’t.” Ashamed, Cedric glanced away, his hands fidgeting nervously in his lap. “There were so many times I wanted to speak with you, but then I would take one look at you and suddenly I just… couldn’t. I don’t know if I was nervous, or embarrassed, but the thought of actually talking to you frightened me.”

You looked at Cedric in pity. “What were you frightened of?”

Cedric pondered his answer. “I’m afraid I don’t know.”

“Well, you don’t need to be frightened,” you said, as you placed your hand on Cedric’s arm in a comforting gesture. “I was nervous to talk to you too, you know. I still am…” you trailed off, glancing away shyly. Your hand lingered on Cedric’s arm, and you took Cedric’s lack of movement away from your touch as a good sign. “But I don’t like how weird everything is. I want,” you chose your next words carefully, “to try again.”

Cedric’s eyes met yours. “What do you mean?” he asked hopefully.

A beat. “I mean, let’s try being friends. If you’d like to, of course.” You were suddenly aware of your hand still on Cedric’s arm, and you drew it back, embarrassed that you had kept it there for so long. You looked around, taking in the scenery. You thought about how much had changed since you were last here, not just in the garden. “I sure have missed this place.”

“The garden?”

You shook your head and laughed. “No, the castle, Enchancia, everything. It’s all so different, even though it feels like I was just here yesterday.”

“It seems like a lifetime to me,” Cedric said, and it sounded bittersweet.

You could sense there was a deeper meaning to Cedric’s words, but you couldn’t quite decipher it. You brushed it off. Questions for later. “I wonder how different everything would have been if I hadn’t left. If we…” you caught your words before they could leave your mouth.

“If we…?” Cedric prompted.

You chewed at your lower lip. “If we, you know… did end up getting married, back then.”

“Oh.” Cedric stared straight ahead, lost in thought. “That certainly would have changed everything…”

You weren’t sure if Cedric even meant to say that out loud, he looked distracted by whatever thought clouded his mind. You gave a quiet amused giggle, “So, did anything exciting happen during those years I was gone? Maybe you could fill me in on everything I missed.”

Panic flashed across Cedric’s face for a moment. “No, nothing happened,” he said quickly. “It was very boring here and if you ask anyone else they’ll say the same. Nobody attempted to take over the kingdom. Trust me.”

Puzzled by Cedric’s strange reaction, you gave him a curious look. “Okay then,” you chuckled.

“So,” Cedric said, changing the subject, “what kind of adventures did you go on? Was the world everything you hoped it would be?”

You knew this question was bound to come up eventually. You sighed heavily. “No, actually.”

Cedric’s eyebrows shot up. “No?”

“I made it about a month before I gave up adventuring.”

Cedric stared at you in surprise. He looked as if he were thinking of what to say but couldn’t come up with anything. “But… you were gone for _eight years_ , what did you do all that time if you didn’t-”

“I stayed with some distant relatives across a handful of nearby countries,” you said hurriedly, trying not to let your embarrassment show in your voice. “I asked them to teach me about their different cultures and history, but they weren’t the best tour guides. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated the time I spent with them, it just… wasn’t what I expected to be doing.” It hurt to admit, especially after the big fuss you made about dreaming of traveling the world. You felt awful.

“Ever since we were children, all you talked about was wanting to become a great adventurer,” Cedric said, turning his upper body to face you. “You always dragged me along on various treks through the forest or climbing up nearby cliffs. Most of our time together as kids was spent exploring Enchancia, so much that by the time we were thirteen there was hardly anything left in Enchancia that we hadn’t seen. You seemed to be destined to see the world. What happened?”

Cedric’s words stung, because he was right. You gave a weak shrug. “I wish I knew. The idea that everything was out there, wide open, just waiting for me, it used to excite me, but suddenly that thought terrified me. It was overwhelming. Then, while I was jumping from place to place and staying with relatives, I realized that I missed the stability of home. I thought I was just homesick and gave it a few months, but it never went away. That feeling always nagged at me, and made it hard to try and enjoy the experience of traveling.” You hoped that Cedric couldn’t sense that there was more to your story that you weren’t telling. You weren’t lying to him, but you decided to leave out a few details. You doubted either of you were ready to talk about the whole truth. Maybe eventually, but not tonight.

“Why didn’t you come back?” Cedric asked.

A beat of silence passed before you spoke. “I couldn’t.”

Cedric’s expression softened in pity. “Of course you could have,” he said quietly. He reached for your hand, but stopped himself, hoping you hadn’t noticed.

“No,” you insisted, “I would have looked like an idiot. I was so sure about my decision to leave that I let it ruin what we had,” you gestured between you and Cedric with your hand, “how could I come back after that? It was bad enough having to tell my parents, now they’ll never trust any major life decision I make from now on, but the thought of coming to you and having to admit that I was wrong, it-” You huffed in aggravation, “I know it sounds stupid now, but I figured it would hurt less if I stayed away.

“But then the longer I stayed away, the harder it became to come back. It was torture. I couldn’t come back to Enchancia, but I wasn’t even enjoying myself or doing anything I set out to do.” You paused, staring sadly at the ground. “After everything I sacrificed to achieve my dream, none of it was worth it, and none of it mattered. I’m back at square one.” Out of the corner of your eye you could see Cedric watching you, and you felt shame wash over you. You hadn’t meant to dump all of this onto him so quickly.

“So, what made you finally decide to return?” Cedric said, his voice sounding almost hesitant.

“I don’t know.” You did know.

“...”

Looking up, you saw Cedric’s expression had hardened. He was no longer looking at you with understanding, but with what looked like resentment. It threw off your train of thought, and you found yourself struggling to get words out. “I guess I’d have to chalk it up to throwing in the towel,” you said, knowing it was a lie. Partially. “I was just going to be miserable pretending to be doing something I loved, so I thought I might come back and find something at home to try, hopefully with more successful results.”

“And that’s the only reason you came back?”

You swallowed. It wasn’t, but again, you weren’t ready to delve quite that deep yet. “Yes.”

Either Cedric could tell you weren’t being truthful, or he didn’t like what he was hearing, because now he was scowling at you with a frightening blend of anger and irritation. “I see,” he said with biting sarcasm, “you really care so little about me that I didn’t even cross your mind. You didn't even consider me and where I fit in your life.”

You stared at Cedric in horror. This wasn’t how you expected him to react at all. “That’s not true at all, why would you even think that?"

“You said it yourself, you only came back here because you gave up and wanted to find some other way to occupy your time, and not once did you include me in your decision.”

Your voice was beginning to rise in frustration. “Why are you acting like this? Of course I thought about you, but why would I have based my decision on you when there was nothing between us? We were done. We made that decision together, remember? You were there too, this shouldn’t be news to you. And for all I knew, _you_ didn't care about _me_ , it had been almost an entire decade, after all. God, you’re being so melodramatic about this…”

“Well pardon me for feeling just a little bit betrayed,” Cedric said, quickly standing up and whirling around to face you. “For years I believed that even if we couldn’t be together like I wanted and hoped we could, you were off living your best life and fulfilling your dreams, and I held out hope that maybe when you came back, we could see where things went from there. But then years passed, and I started giving up that hope, but I couldn’t give up on you completely, so I waited and waited, not knowing where you were or what you were doing, but I waited. I waited for someone who, by the way, didn’t bother writing to me once-”

“We were _over_ , Cedric, did you really think I would?”

“-only to find out… all of this?!” Cedric threw his hands up in aggravation, pacing back and forth in front of you as he ranted. “You threw away everything we had to go on this adventure of yours and you didn’t even do it! I was so insignificant to you that you didn’t see the big deal in taking off and leaving me and our relationship in the dust. But I waited for you for years. I _loved you_ , for _years_. Years of hoping and waiting and begging whatever god would listen that we could be together again, wasted on someone who clearly didn’t feel the same.”

You frowned. “I didn’t ask you to do that, Cedric. You made that choice.”

Taking a step back, Cedric snorted. “Biggest mistake of my life.”

Something snapped in your heart, and you felt panic begin to set in. Maybe now _was_ the time to tell Cedric the whole truth. “Listen, something else happened while I was away that made me come back here. I know you don’t think so, but you crossed my mind a _lot_ while I was gone.”

Cedric snorted. “Glad to be rid of me, weren’t you.”

“What? No, of course not,” you explained, “I actually-”

“Did you expect me to just sit around and wait for you, like some tenderhearted fool who never got over his first love?” Cedric paused for a moment. “I mean, you wouldn’t have been completely wrong to assume that, I guess…”

“I didn’t expect you to-,” you sighed, holding out your hands to try and get Cedric to calm down, “if you would just listen, I realized that I still-”

“No, I think I’ve heard enough. Thinking that we could ever go back to how we were before after everything we’ve been through was the second biggest mistake of my life.” Cedric crossed his arms defensively and turned away. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should be getting back inside. This could be the first sorceress’ ball I attend that doesn’t end in life-ruining disaster, and I wouldn’t want to miss that.”

Pleas for Cedric to wait got stuck in your throat, and with your arm outstretched towards Cedric’s retreating form in longing, you watched as he stormed back inside. Realization of how horribly wrong everything had just gone gradually took over as your mind spun. You slowly lowered your arm as the eerie night time silence encompassed you. In the span of half an hour, you had watched as everything fell apart.

There was no fixing this now.


	9. Tears Dry On Their Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia discovers that her plan may have backfired. You open up to Sofia about something you should have told Cedric long ago. Cedric learns something valuable from someone he wouldn't have expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny how one person's comment gave me so much motivation to finally get back to this fic. Just goes to show how important a single comment can potentially be.

As soon as Sofia saw Cedric come back inside with a sour expression and without you anywhere in sight, she knew something was wrong.

Looking around to make sure nobody was watching her, she snuck away from the party and towards the direction Cedric had just come from. Her path led her to the garden, and eventually to you, sitting on the edge of the fountain with your arms wrapped around yourself and looking like you were about to cry at any moment.

Something was definitely wrong.

Catching on to Sofia’s presence, you looked up. Seeing it was just Sofia, your alarmed expression faded, but you couldn’t hide the sadness written in your watery eyes.

Sofia spoke softly. “I’m sorry, if you want to be alone-”

“No,” you cut in, “I don’t mind. I want to thank you and Calista for trying, even if it didn’t end well.”

Sofia moved to sit beside you. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened? When you two were dancing, you both seemed so happy.”

You smiled wistfully. “We were happy, but,” your smile faded, “I think I gave Cedric the wrong impression during our talk.”

“Wrong impression?”

You sighed, worrying your bottom lip between your teeth. “I told him about my dream of traveling the world not working out the way I had hoped, and that I returned to Enchancia to start over and find a new dream to chase. But he took that to mean that I didn’t care about him enough to factor him into my decision to return.”

“But did you?”

You turned to Sofia, your eyes sincere. “Cedric is the only reason I came back.”

Sofia listened intently as you explained.

“Throughout my journey beyond Enchancia I couldn’t get Cedric off of my mind. At first I thought it was just guilt over how we ended everything, but that guilt faded, and what was left was my love for Cedric. That never faded. I’ve never loved anyone so much in my life, beyond my family. I knew choosing between love and my dream was going to be difficult, and it was, but when faced with the reality that my dream wasn’t working out like I planned and hoped it would, it made me realize that I needed to start from scratch and find a new journey to pursue. And I chose Cedric.”

Sofia was quiet. This revelation excited her, but the circumstances worried her. She feared tonight had been the final straw and your relationship with Cedric was beyond repair.

“I was worried that I was too late, that Cedric had found someone else and had created a life with them in my absence, or that Cedric’s feelings for me had faded with time. I knew coming back was a gamble, but I just had to try. And though I’m glad that I did, nothing is going right.” You offer Sofia a weak smile, “Well, some things have been good. I’m very glad I’ve met you, and working in the castle has been fun, I appreciate the people I’ve met. But I think…” you trail off, your smile slipping away.

“I think this journey is over, too.”

-

Hours after the ball had ended, Cedric sat pensively in his workshop, slumped over at his desk replaying the night in his head. How did everything go so wrong?

A small noise caught his attention, and Cedric turned to see Sofia peeking out from behind the door. “What is it?” he groaned, fidgeting with a glass jar and pretending to be busy.

Sofia stepped inside, a somber look on her face. “I… heard you had a tough evening.”

Cedric huffed. “Yes, you could say that.”

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“No, I don’t think I-” Cedric stopped suddenly, raising an eyebrow and looking at Sofia quizzically. “I’m sorry, but when did the aspects of my personal life become any of your business?”

Sofia sighed. “It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”

“I suppose,” Cedric hummed. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again. “She doesn’t care about me. I don’t think she ever truly did.”

“Mr. Cedric, you’re just being dramatic,” Sofia said sternly. “Of course she cares about you, why would you think she doesn’t?”

“Because she made that much very clear tonight,” Cedric said, standing from his chair to pace around the room angrily as he spoke. “I heard all this talk about her dreams and not once did she mention me, or us, and the only reason she even came back here was to find something else to waste her time on before she eventually gives up on that, too. She told me herself.”

“You’ve got to give her a chance, Mr. Cedric,” Sofia pleaded. “Dreams don’t always come true. Sometimes you make big plans, and you hope, and you really believe in something, but it just doesn’t work out. There’s no shame in starting over and finding something else to dream about. She’s already hurt about losing out on a dream she risked a lot for, the last thing she needs is to lose you too.

“And of course she cares about you, Mr. Cedric. Why else would she have kept trying to talk to you all this time since she’s been back? Don’t you think that if she didn’t care about you, it wouldn’t have mattered to her that you pretended not to know her? Would she have bothered to talk to you at Calista’s ball? She had every opportunity to show you she didn’t care. Just think about everything she’s done to try and help the two of you fix everything. In fact, from anyone else’s perspective, it looks like _you_ are the one who doesn’t care.”

Taken aback by Sofia’s impassioned speech, Cedric stared at her, words failing him. He thought back to the time you came to his workshop to talk. You were the one who took the initiative, and he was the one who stopped you. You opened up to him during Calista’s ball, and he had stormed off before you could finish. Time and time again, you came to him, seemingly with the intention to repair the damage between the two of you, and he repaid you by shutting you out every time. Regret and shame weighed heavy in Cedric’s heart.

Seeing Cedric deep in thought, Sofia spoke quietly. “She cares, Cedric. And I know you care too.”

Cedric smiled softly. “When did you get so wise, Sofia?”

“I’ve learned from the best,” Sofia said, returning the smile.

A thought suddenly occurred to Cedric. “Wait a second… how did you know all of this? You weren’t spying on us, were you? I must admit your meddling has helped me a great deal more than I thought, but that doesn’t excuse a lack of respect for privacy.”

Annoyed, Sofia huffed, puffing out her cheeks. “I didn’t spy, I talked to her after I saw how upset you looked when you came back inside.”

Cedric’s heart sank. “What did she say?”

Sofia crossed her arms. “I’m not going to be the messenger for you two. If you want to know, you can ask her yourself. I think you need to talk to her anyway.”

“You’re right,” Cedric nodded, “I do. I’ll speak with her tomorrow evening, after I’ve finished-”

Sofia looked at Cedric sadly. “You mean… you don’t know yet? The news has traveled pretty fast around the castle already.”

“Know what, exactly?”

Sofia hesitated to speak.

Cedric grew worried. “Sofia?”

“Y/n told Baileywick that she’s quitting… and she’s leaving Enchancia again tomorrow, first thing in the morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *leaves fic on cliffhanger for five months*
> 
> *comes back and leaves fic on another cliffhanger*
> 
> ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ 
> 
> (I swear I won’t take so long to update this next time cross my heart)


	10. At Last (My Love Has Come Along)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cordelia presents you with a gift and some comforting words that make you rethink recent decisions. You and Cedric come clean to one another, at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did promise a more timely update than the last chapter, didn't I? :)

“It’s unfortunate, really, that you’re leaving so soon, dear,” Cordelia said to you as you helped her and Calista load their bags into their carriage the next morning. The fact that they weren’t using their magic to put the bags away told you that Cordelia must be buying some time to talk with you. “I’m sure everybody will be sorry to see you go. You’ve become very well liked around here, it seems.”

You smile halfheartedly. “I’m sorry too, but it’s just my time, I guess.”

Cordelia hummed in understanding, then eyed you suspiciously. “My brother didn’t… say anything, to make you want to leave, did he?”

“No,” you lied, sort of, “it’s nothing like that. I made this decision on my own.”

Cordelia looked relieved. “Oh, good. Not that you leaving is good, of course, I- Oh, you know what I mean.” With a start, Cordelia suddenly reached into her bag and pulled something out, holding it in her closed fist. “That reminds me, I have something I think deserves to be passed along to you now.”

Curious, you watched as she opened her hand and revealed the ring that Cedric had proposed to you with. You felt nearly all the air in your lungs vanish. You didn’t think you’d ever see that ring again. “How did you…?”

Cordelia smiled as she recalled to you the memory.

-

_“You’re going to regret this, Cedric.”_

_“Oh, I doubt that very much.”_

_It had been a long while since she and Cedric shared a moment as sincere as this one, and it left a strange aftertaste. However, years of resentment and rivalry didn’t erase the fact that she cared for her brother. They were family, after all. So she tried._

_“Someday you’re going to want this, I know how sentimental you are.” Cordelia said softly, trying to calm her brother down. She sympathized with him, but she could tell he was acting irrationally on his emotions. “Everything hurts now, but one day you’ll want to remember her, and everything you two went through, and you’ll think back on your life and remember every interesting thing you’ve done and you’ll be grateful for those memories. That’s what makes life worth living, don’t you agree?”_

_“I don’t care,” Cedric said sternly. “Sell it, burn it, toss it into the ocean, just get rid of it. I don’t want to see it again._ Ever. _”_

_Cordelia reluctantly nodded. “Consider it gone,” she said. She watched as Cedric went upstairs to his room, and once she was sure he was out of sight, she put the ring into her bag. She’d find a safe place to keep it later._

_Days passed, and Cordelia watched as Cedric slowly rid himself of every item he could that carried painful memories. Reminding him occasionally that he couldn’t throw away every item he owned, she still could only watch as Cedric’s life became emptier and emptier, not just in terms of physical possessions. Cedric changed, the spark of joy his eyes once held fading away until all that was left was bitterness and grief._

_Still, she held onto the ring, hoping that one day it might bring back even a little of that joy._

-

“I couldn’t keep much without Cedric getting suspicious, and out of all the items I managed to save, I thought that you’d like to have this one.”

You held out your hand and Cordelia placed the ring onto your open palm. “I would,” you said, “thank you.”

Cordelia's eyes met yours. "He loves you," she said, "and I know he always will. I hope that ring serves as a reminder of that, in case you have your doubts."

Looking down at the ring made you feel… well, it made you feel a lot of things. Bittersweet nostalgia, longing, regret, and painful memories came to you one after the other.

“Well,” Cordelia said at last, “I suppose we should be off, then.” She gave you a small wave as she climbed into the carriage, and you could see Calista peeking through the window, giving you her own sad goodbye as the carriage started to pull away.

You waved back, giving Calista a look you hope said “I know you tried. Thank you.”

Waving the dusty air away from your face, you walked over to the stairs and sat down in a secluded spot, out of sight to anybody who should happen to come out the front doors. You needed to take a moment to process some things before you could face anybody (and no doubt be bombarded with questions about your departure).

Slowly, you opened your hand and gazed at the ring. Sunlight glinted off of the shiny stone, giving the piece of jewelry an almost otherworldly glow. Even with this beautiful object in front of you, all you could think about was Cedric. You thought about the recent events that occurred, and the ones that happened long ago. What were once bitter and painful memories, serving as reminders of your mistakes, had turned into something warmer, more comforting. You don’t know when it happened, or if there had been a particular moment when it happened, but you knew that suddenly your view on everything had changed. You let your mind wander, considering the possibility that maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad to-

Your thoughts were interrupted by a commotion somewhere beside you. The castle doors opened with a bang, and footsteps clambered down the stairs. Frantic shouts of “Wait!” echoed around you. Looking up, you saw Cedric sprinting as fast as he could after Cordelia’s carriage, shouting something you couldn’t quite understand as he ran. You watched him curiously as he eventually gave up, slowing down to a jog, then a walk, and then stopping completely and dropping to his knees. He slumped forward in defeat, his hands flat on the ground.

He was almost too far away to see clearly and the dust certainly didn’t help, but you sat up straighter when you realized that you could see Cedric’s shoulders shaking, almost as if sobs were making his body shudder.

“Cedric?” you called out, standing up and slowly walking towards him.

Upon hearing you say his name, Cedric instantly whipped his head around, his eyes wide in disbelief. They were shiny, too, confirming your suspicions. “But I- You… H-how? You mean you didn’t-?”

“That was your sister’s carriage,” you explained, trying not to laugh.

Cedric scrambled to his feet and walked over to meet you halfway. “I thought you were leaving today?”

You paused. How Cedric knew that was a mystery, but you didn’t think too much about it. The hurt in Cedric’s eyes yanked harshly at your heartstrings. “Why were you chasing after that carriage?” you asked, intentionally ignoring his question.

“I… was hoping to stop it.”

“And you thought it was me?”

Cedric nodded, sweating nervously.

“Why?”

With a gulp, Cedric cleared his throat. “Because there was something I wanted to say to you.”

You raised an eyebrow, prompting Cedric to go on.

“I’m sorry,” Cedric said after a lengthy pause. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been behaving, and for giving you such a hard time, recently.”

“Cedric, you-”

“No, please,” Cedric said, holding up his hand to silence you, “allow me. There’s more. And if I don’t get it all out now while I’ve worked up the nerve to, I doubt I ever will.”

You nodded, signaling for Cedric to continue.

“I know that things have been a bit rocky between us, and you may not believe me when I say this, but I… I still love you, just as much, if not more, than I did all those years ago. I missed you terribly, and I don’t have any explanation for the way I behaved when you returned. I was so excited that you were finally coming back, but I was also worried that maybe you had changed while you were gone. I guess I shut you out to protect myself, but I should have considered your feelings before I did so. I just… loved you too much to face the possibility that you didn’t love me anymore.

“If you don’t feel the same, I understand, and I can accept that. I just wish you wouldn’t leave. I’ve already had to say goodbye to you once, I don’t wish to have to do it again.”

You could feel tears perched on the corners of your eyes, and you blinked them away. Hearing Cedric open up and make himself so vulnerable to you touched you more than you could describe.

“Well,” Cedric continued, turning to walk away, “I doubt I’ve changed your mind, but I couldn’t let you leave without telling you the truth. I’ll let you go so you can fetch your things and-”

“Actually,” you said, “I have something to say to you too, something I should have been clear about from the start.”

Cedric turned back to you, intrigued.

You took a deep breath to collect yourself before you started to explain. “I’m going to try to make a very long story as short as I can.

“I realized, while I was gone, that I made a mistake in choosing to leave. You know this, I already told you, but I left out a detail that I shouldn’t have. I was… hesitant to admit it. I still loved you very much- I never stopped loving you, actually- and the reason I came back was more than just to start over. I wanted to start over with _you_. Yes, there’s other things in my life I need to sort out, but I wanted to start with fixing everything that went wrong between me and you. I mean, that’s assuming that it can be fixed, of course. You have every right to be upset with me, I gave you the wrong impression about my intentions, but I didn’t mean to.”

There was a long, tense pause, and you continued.

“I probably kept this all to myself for the same reasons that you did. I was afraid you had changed, and that you wouldn’t want me the way that I wanted you. When you treated me like a stranger, it made me think that I was right, that you had moved on and didn’t want anything to do with me.”

“That’s the opposite of what I wanted,” Cedric said quietly, so quietly you almost didn’t hear him. Almost.

“It’s amazing how all of this could have been avoided if we had just been better at communication,” you said, laughing weakly.

Cedric was silent as he took in everything you said. At long last, his eyes met yours. “So, are you still leaving?”

You paused. Were you? Your hands were clasped behind your back, the ring pressing against your palm. With nimble fingers, you slipped the ring onto the proper finger, the finger it was meant to be worn on. It felt right. Everything felt right.

Before you knew what you were doing, you found yourself taking a step towards Cedric. “That depends,” you said with a shy smile.

Confusion and intrigue flashed in Cedric’s eyes. “Depends on what?”

Creeping closer still, you stopped when your chests were mere inches from touching. “Depends on what happens next,” you said, your eyes meeting Cedric’s, occasionally flickering down to his lips.

Cedric was beginning to understand, and he took your hands in his, an irrepressible smile on his face.

You couldn’t tell which one of you closed the gap first, but you didn’t really care. All you could think about was your lips on his in a kiss that was years in the making, and almost made the past months of turmoil and torment worth it.

Pulling away (reluctantly), your lips spread into a wide, excited smile that was mirrored by Cedric’s. “Well, my friend, looks like I’m staying after all.”

“Oh please, don’t call me ‘friend’ after everything that just happened, I can’t take it…”

You laughed, kissing him again.

-

Snow came early to Enchancia, much to your delight. You watched it fall at a sleepy pace outside, the dying grass below slowly hiding beneath the soft, white blanket. You stepped back from the window and crossed over to the small fireplace, holding your cold hands out towards the tiny crackling fire and sighing as the soothing heat enveloped them. You loved spending time with Cedric in his workshop, but the icy temperatures around this time of year were… less than ideal.

Speaking of, you looked over your shoulder to where the sorcerer was hunched at his desk and working frantically, as usual. You had bribed him into finishing his work early today, promising him an evening of cuddling by the fireplace while you two talked about the day, an offer he couldn’t possibly pass up (and he didn’t). Only a few more minutes now until he could finally call it a night. You were growing more impatient by the second. You suspected he was too.

Glancing around at the collection of portraits adorning the walls, you smiled when your eyes landed on one in particular; your wedding portrait. You never dreamed that a day in your life could be so magical and perfect. Though, thinking about it, every day since then had come pretty close; having Cedric proudly introduce you to everyone as his wife, getting to call the Royal Sorcerer your husband, living a nearly picture-perfect domestic life… you didn’t realize how much you craved it all until you had it, and you wouldn’t trade it for anything--or anywhere--in the world.

Arms slithering around your waist from behind startled you, but the gentle kisses trailed along your cheek and temple made your heart soar. “Has it really been almost a year already?” Cedric reminisced with a sigh, following your gaze to the portrait of you two, posing almost identically to the way you were now.

“Don’t remind me, I’m having a horrible time coming up with a good anniversary gift. Finding something that a well-stocked sorcerer wouldn’t already have is a nightmare, let me tell you.”

Cedric chuckled in amusement and a hand slid down to rest on your stomach, which had just recently begun to show through your clothes. “You’ve already given me the most wonderful gift I could ever ask for,” he said softly, pure love and adoration dripping from his voice.

“But that ‘gift’ doesn’t arrive for another few months, though,” you said with a pout.

“Then it will be a belated gift,” Cedric said, pressing another kiss to your cheek. “And if it makes you feel any better, I haven’t found anything for you, either.”

“Have you considered having a baby?”

“I have, actually, but getting each other the same gift is rather tacky, wouldn’t you agree?”

You laughed, turning around so you were facing Cedric and draping your arms around his neck. “It’s a good thing you still loved me after all this time, I don’t think I would have had much luck finding anyone else who can match my sense of humor like you can.”

Laughing, Cedric pulled you closer, and you could see the light of the fireplace reflected in his eyes. “You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who loves you as much as I have, too.”

With a cheeky smile, you gave Cedric a quick but loving kiss. “Will you still love me tomorrow?” You ask, a question which had become part of yours and Cedric’s nightly routine.

Cedric smiled warmly. “Most definitely.”

“Good,” you said, resting your head against Cedric’s chest. “So will I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: “Making a couple have a baby at the end of a story is overdone and as someone who doesn’t like/want children I’d love to see some representation of childless couples living happy and fulfilled lives without having a baby.”
> 
> Also me: “aND THEN THEY HAVE A BABY BECAUSE THEY’D MAKE SUCH CUTE BABIES AND THEY’LL GET TO BE DOMESTIC AND ADORABLE AND-”
> 
> Welp. That’s a wrap, folks. Sorry for the long ass hiatus I took for a while, but better late than never, you know? In other news, I’m starting to dip my toes back into this fandom again, so if anyone has any fic ideas, slug them my way and I’ll try and take a crack at any that catch my interest (I'll probably keep them short, though, idk if I'll be up for tackling a multi-chapter fic for a while lol).
> 
> Until then, you cats stay cool.


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